


Albus Dumbledore and The Harbinger of Magic

by angelholme



Series: The Seer [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Girl!Blaise, Part 4, hv2, the dark verse, the dreamland, the underland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2018-10-28 12:23:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 115,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10831212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelholme/pseuds/angelholme
Summary: The Tri-Wizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts, while Luna and Harry plan to defeat Voldemort once and for all.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Harry Potter (et al) belong to JK Rowling.
> 
> The Dreamland is based on a mix of Minecraft and Disney Infinity.
> 
> The Underland is based on a mix of Minecraft and Bullet Witch.
> 
> Names for castles, bases, pets and other items in The Dreamland & The Underland are copyright to those who own/created them.
> 
> The original concept of the story is based on "The Oracle Saga" written by Mike Resnick - a trilogy that is one of the best stories I have ever read.

The man walked casually down the alley, occasionally glancing around but mostly keeping to himself. In the eight months since he had been released from Prison 32, and the two months since he had left the Delacour's residence, he had perfected the art of passing unnoticed in the crowd - of walking as if he belonged wherever he was. 

His initial worry - that Dumbledore would have alerted the British and French authorities as to who he really was - had faded as there had been more and more reports of the attack at Hogwarts and the part his erstwhile captor had played in it. 

There was still a chance Albus could leak his identity - hence his desire to leave Europe as soon as he could. A task that would be made a great deal easier if he could get to his former stash of money and magical items. 

He turned down another alley, then stopped in surprise at the sight in front of him. He blinked a few times, but the vision in front of him didn't go away. A large glowing...... rip in the air in front of him. About seven feet height and six inches wide, it floated about three inches off the ground. He narrowed his eyes, trying to stare through it, but all he could see was darkness. 

He looked around, making sure he was alone, then he walked up to the rip. 

"Well - you wanted somewhere to hide" He said to himself "Somewhere Albus won't find you" He looked around once last time, then he took one step forward and then walked into the rip.


	2. The Perfect Possible Future

Alice walked through the halls of Cinderella's Castle, heading for the main banqueting hall. Around half an hour before, her...... daughter - Alice had to admit, she was still adjusting to having Angela as a daughter - had told her that Luna wanted to talk to them. 

She had, more or less, made peace with the idea of The Dreamland, and the various castles that the group had created within it - although she still thought the children shouldn't be going down to The Underland as often as they - and the fact it meant they could all get together whenever they wanted in a completely private environment made her feel a lot better about the fact her children were fighting what was essentially a war. 

"We know you are worried, Mum" Neville had said "But if Voldemort comes for Harry, he won't let anyone stand in his way" 

"And Dumbledore has already held you and Dad prisoner for fifteen years, just because he thought he might need to control Neville" Angela added "They are our friends, and they need our help" 

She reached the banqueting hall, and slowly pushed the door open. 

"Mum - come in" Angela waved her over, and Alice walked down the hall to sit between her son and daughter "Xeno and Sirius have just been regaling us with stories about how to break out of Azkaban in five easy steps" Alice raised an eyebrow and looked over at the two men. 

"Sorry, Alice" Sirius said, looking slightly abashed "But I promise it was the PG version of the stories" He paused, then - in a flash - changed in to the dog version of himself and gave a happy bark.

"Dementors are very bad with non-human emotions, as it turns out" Xeno explained, smiling as Sirius bounded around the table "So when Sirius turned into the puppified version of himself, he could lead them all over the place - they were confused enough to want to follow him wherever he went" 

"But" Sirius said as he transformed back "The prison was built for containing humans, not animals - at least not small animals - so I could duck in and out of places without being stopped" He smiled "Eventually I managed to lead most of them to one end of the island, then scoot back down the other end so Xeno and I could escape" 

"We found a..... tunnel" Xeno said "That lead from the edge of the island, all the way to the mainland" He paused "After that..... well - you know the rest" 

"Indeed we do" Luna said with a smile as she appeared on the stage at the front of the room. She jumped down and threw her arms around her father, before looking round at everyone else. She paused for a second, then she walked back over and sat on the edge of the stage. 

"Okay - so here's the thing" She said, voice projecting throughout the hall despite the fact she was talking quietly "I know that some of the parents of the group - if I can refer to you all that way - have been asking why, when I know that this will be over in a year, I don't take a more active role and bring to an end much sooner" She paused, then took a deep breath "My friends already know this - we had a...... discussion about this last year....." She trailed off as Harry snorted in amusement and Hermione blushed bright red "....but I will give you a basic explanation" She pushed herself to her feet and started pacing back and forth on the stage. 

"Right now, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall are hiding out in a remote cottage in the north of Scotland" She said, continuing to pace "A man we know as Clark Kent has - I think - vanished from this world altogether, walking through what I can only describe as a dimensional rift and Gabrielle Delacour is asleep in her family's ancestral home" She paused "I could floo Amelia, and I think I could easily convince her to arrange a squad of Aurors to storm the cottage and arrest Dumbledore and McGonagall before they knew we were even coming. And, depending on whether or not I felt like it, I could easily ensure that either Dumbledore, McGonagall or both were killed during the raid - I could make certain they were never going to bother us again" She stopped pacing and turned to face the assembled group. 

"But I won't...... and more than that - I can't" She walked back to the edge of the stage and sat down again. 

"If I decide to start controlling the future, then I am scared I will become addicted to it. That I will be unable to let go of the power, and eventually I will want to rule the world" She paused "That's what Dumbledore thinks my ultimate plan is - to get to the point where I will control the future and make myself empress of the magical world" 

"So you aren't going to use the future any more?" Frank asked. Luna smiled.

"If only it was that easy" She replied "Not seeing the future is...... it's just not something I can do. It has got to the point where it is like breathing - it just happens" She paused, then got to her feet again "And I realise the difference between seeing the future and using what I see, and directly changing the future so it matches what I see is a very fine line, but I can only tell you that I know the difference - I know where the line is drawn and I can swear now, on my life, my love, my soul and my heart, that I am never, ever going to cross it" She fell silent, watching as everyone watched her. 

"What if you see someone is going to die?" Jessica glanced at her daughter before looking back at Luna. 

"I will do everything I can to prevent it, even if it means trying to get..... whoever it is out of the way" Luna replied "But I won't manipulate the person into staying out of the way, and I won't manipulate the would-be killer into changing their mind" She looked down at Jessica "I realise that's not the best answer, but I am a child. I haven't even started my third year at school, or had my first proper kiss, or ......." She trailed off, then shook her head "I shouldn't be deciding who lives and dies, Mrs Granger - I am not a goddess, Mrs Granger, and I have no desire to become one" She tilted her head to one side "I have a feeling I would make a very, very bad one" She smirked "And would you really want to live in a world where I am the supreme being" She turned to Harry, who was just about to open his mouth "That was a rhetorical question, sweetie"

"Nuts" Harry said, making everyone laugh. 

"But anyway" She looked back at everyone else "I will always protect my family - by which I mean everyone in this room - and friends, and I promise we will defeat Voldemort and Dumbledore and that we will live happily ever after" She smiled "But without my risking my ascension to angry, vengeful goddess or losing my immortal soul - assuming I have one, of course" She paused "If anyone has any questions, you can come and ask me any time - I promise I won't be offended" She looked around the room once more, then nodded "Okay then - the other thing we have to discuss is what's coming - the next year and the end of the war" She jumped down off the stage and started walking around the room. 

"There is a concept that some people refer to as The Perfect Possible Future" She said "And when I say 'some people' there is a chance I may just have made it up, but either way it refers to when a set of events fall out in such a way that everyone involved is happy" She paused "Or at least everyone who matters is happy" 

"What do you mean by people who matter?" Faith asked. 

"Well - from our perspective, it would be everyone in this room, the majority of students at Hogwarts, most of the magical......." Luna paused, then shook her head "It might be easier to list the people who don't matter, so to speak. Which is basically Voldemort and his lackeys and Dumbledore and his lackeys" 

"Oh" Faith paused "I guess that makes sense" 

"And The Perfect Possible doesn't necessarily apply to the rest of time - it doesn't mean how future events will fall out for all of us until we pass through the veil. It can mean for the next few months, the rest of the week, how a game of Quidditch turns out" She smiled to herself "And in this instance, it refers to the next......" She glanced at her watch "Eight months, two weeks and five days" 

"That seems remarkably specific" Frank said with an amused grin.

"if everything goes to plan, and everything falls out how it should be, that will be the day on which Voldemort is killed, Dumbledore is arrested and we all get our lives back" Luna smiled "Although there is obviously a built in margin of error of around 2 days either way in that"

"Four whole days?" Hermione laughed "Are you sure you can't narrow that down?" 

"Oh - I only added that to make it sound like I wasn't showing off - it will be exactly eight months, two weeks and five days" Luna smirked, making everyone laugh "But - just so as you don't think I have actually become the vengeful goddess that I am scared of becoming, this is The Perfect Possible and will only come to pass if everything happens the way I have seen it" She paused, then her face fell "I've also seen several dozen other versions of the same day, which are not so nice"

"Not so nice?" Sirius asked.

"They range from Dumbledore escaping justice, to Voldemort conquering The Ministry, to Harry and I both falling back under Dumbledore's control" She lowered her gaze, staring at the floor "Which leads to both of us killing ourselves almost immediately afterwards" Harry bounded to his feet and pulled her into a hug. 

"I will rip his head off before I let that happen" He whispered "I will literally tear it off and use it as a quaffle" Luna, head resting against his chest, snorted in amusement. 

"Like I said - these are just a range of outcomes" She said, looking up "And clearly some are right at the dark end of the scale - right at the dark end. I think that, even if we can't manage to reach The Perfect Possible, we can definitely avoid the...... Imperfect Possible" She frowned "That doesn't sound quite right"

"Perfect Impossible?" Angela suggested. 

"Imperfect Impossible?" Sally-Anne added.

"Guys!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sorry" Angela and Sally said in unison. 

"Anyway - over the next few months or so, there are going to be a number of things going on" Luna continued "A lot of things that I can't tell you - not yet - but there are some things that you do need to know"

"What do you mean things we don't need to know?" Damian asked, but before Luna could reply Harry took a step forward.

"Imagine you knew that you were going to see your wife confronted by a dragon" He said "And that if she is caught by surprise, she can get away, but that if she knows she will confronted, she will die" He glanced between Faith and Damian "Would you tell her?" Damian tilted his head to one side, then looked at Luna.

"Isn't that like manipulating us?" He asked in a voice that was more inquiry than accusation. 

"You still have free will, and your reactions are your own" Luna replied "Like I said - it's a fine line - sometimes so fine it is almost invisible, but......." 

"But you have to trust her" Harry finished for her, then looked at the rest of the children "We all do - without question" Hermione, Sally, Angela and Neville all nodded. 

"Okay then" Damian smiled "So - what's next?"

xoxox

The bumblebee over the village of Hogsmeade, keeping low enough so that it could watch the movement below, high enough so that no one would see it. It made two or three passes over the village, then turned north and flew across the fields. 

Twenty minutes later it reached the edge of the mountains, then flew upwards looking for the entrance to the long tunnel that lead through to an enclave in the centre of the northern hills.

It flew along the tunnel, turning left and right seemingly at random, then emerged out into the daylight again and flew down towards the cottage in the centre of the enclave. 

As it neared the ground, it suddenly started to grow and warp, and then - in the place of a bumblebee - there was an old man with a long white beard. Dressed in surprisingly multicoloured robes, he paused a moment as if steadying himself, then he turned and walked towards the cottage. 

"Good evening Albus" McGonagall looked up from the bench by the door "Did you have a nice flight?" 

"Yes, thank you Minerva" Dumbledore nodded, then sat down next to her, exhaling slightly as he did "I am getting too old for these regular transformations"

"I have offered to help - on numerous occasions - but you appear to not want my assistance" McGonagall replied frostily. 

"It is not that, Minerva" Dumbledore smiled placatingly at her "Every year - in your first transfiguration class with every year - you do your transformation, do you not?"

"Yes" She nodded.

"And you have been doing this for how long?" 

"Are you coming to a point, Albus?"

"I was just wondering how many students - both past and present - would be able to recognise your form if they saw it in Hogsmeade or the surrounding area?" Dumbledore asked calmly "I understand that you want to help, and believe me when the time is right I will require a lot of help" McGonagall gazed intently at him, then gave a reluctant nod.

"Very well, Albus - I understand" She paused "What did you learn from your expedition?"

"That the wards around our school are still enchanted to keep both of us out, I am sorry to say" Dumbledore sighed "However there does not appear to be a significant auror presence on the streets of Hogsmeade or the surrounding areas" 

"They are not looking for us?" McGonagall asked in surprise.

"It would appear not" Dumbledore said "Or at least they are not looking for us this far north" He smiled "Which gives us a little more time to arrange our plans" He closed his eyes "However, I believe that given our current situation, we might have to modify them"

"We might?" McGonagall arched her eyebrows.

"Alas, yes" Dumbledore turned to stare at her "We are alone here, Minerva, and isolated. If we are to ensure that Harry succeeds in fulfilling his destiny, and are to prevent the Lovegood girl rising to take the place of Lord Voldemort once he is defeated, then we are going to need allies" He steepled his fingers under his chin "Given our..... precarious situation, do you think some of our former comrades would still be willing to work with us?"

"From The Order?" McGonagall asked "Perhaps. Some of the older members - the ones who joined during the war against Grindelwald and the early part of the first rise" She paused "I do not, however, think we can rely on some of the younger members"

"Young Nymphadora, or Sirius Black, for example?" Dumbledore's voice was tinged with anger.

"Amongst others, yes" McGonagall nodded.

"Molly and Arthur?" 

"Perhaps" McGonagall looked back at him thoughtfully "Their children have become friends with Potter and Lovegood, but from what I observed - at least what I remember of what I observed - neither Granger nor Potter showed any romantic interest in the two youngest Weasley children" 

"I recall a similar thing" Dumbledore agreed "Do you think we could use that to gain their assistance?"

"What parent does not want the best for their child?" McGonagall responded "Once Lord Voldemort is dealt with, Mr Potter is going to be, for want of a better phrase, the single most eligible bachelor in the magical world - even though he will not have left school" She smiled "Molly, and even Arthur, will see the benefits of ensuring their daughter marries well"

"However Miss Granger is still going to be muggle born" Dumbledore sighed.

"A muggle born who will have helped free the magical world, Albus" McGonagall leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees "And before we were forced to leave, Miss Granger's test scores were the highest on record. Assuming that her performance hasn't gone downhill since we left the castle, she is set to graduate with the highest scores in history and become the greatest students Hogwarts has ever seen" 

"You think that that level of academic performance will arise her bloodlines? Her heritage?" Dumbledore asked sceptically.

"Hermione Jane Granger will have stood by Harry Potter's side as he fought and defeated Lord Voldemort" McGonagall continued in an emphatic tone "They will be glorified as heroes, and the country will love them. If you add to that her brains, wisdom and general genius I think that she will be able to write her own ticket" She stared at him "If Ronald and Ginevra were married to the first Lord and Lady of the magical world, their futures would be assured" She smiled "I think selling Molly and Arthur on that would not be all that complicated"

"I suppose that is true" Dumbledore nodded after a few moments "And I believe that - with the appropriate combination of persuasion and appeals to friendship - Amos Diggory could be convinced to bring his son into this"

"Cedric?" McGonagall blinked "Yes - I can see that. Respected, honourable - Potter and Lovegood would never consider him a threat"

"That is my hope" Dumbledore gave a single nod "Very well" He clapped his hands together "Minerva - we will need to brew a lot of polyjuice potion, so that we may move in the general population undetected"

"That is as maybe, Albus, but my potion brewing skills - I am afraid to say - do leave a little to be desired" McGonagall blushed "I can collect the ingredients, and possibly make contact with our fellow Order members"

"Do not worry about the brewing, Minerva - while I admit it has been a while since I was in the classroom, I do not think that my potion making skills have entirely atrophied just yet" He smiled "The cottage has a fully functional potions laboratory, and once I have the ingredients I am sure I will have no problems in creating the potions" McGonagall smiled "However I believe that I will take you up on your offer to collect the ingredients as soon as we can - the sooner we start, the sooner we will be able to bring Miss Lovegood under control" 

"Not Mr Potter?" McGonagall asked in surprise.

"Voldemort will return, and we will need to ensure Harry is prepared for that, however the influence that Miss Lovegood has now, and the potential influence that she will wield in the future, makes her much more of a danger to our society"

xoxox

"You are sure Harry won't have to participate?" Sirius asked intently.

"I promise that - by the time I am done - no one will even come close to suggesting it" Luna said with a smile, then she blushed "I realise that this comes close to crossing the line I just made a big show of not wanting to cross, but this..... magical cup is not a sentient, living creature. It is magical, and - from a certain, very limited point of view, it has the ability to make a choice so you could consider it intelligent" She paused "But it is just a very advanced magical spell that compares traits from two people and picks one over the other - if it had to pick between two absolutely identical people it would......" She trailed off then shrugged "It would probably explode"

"Luna, sweetie, you don't have to justify yourself to us" Angela said "Our parents, maybe, but I think I can speak for the five of us" She gestured to the other kids in the room "When I say we all trust you with our lives - whatever you choose to do will be okay with us"

"Here, here" Hermione murmured. Luna bobbed her head, her blush getting even more red.

"Anyway - aside from The Tournament, which is going to provide us with a suitable amount of entertainment over the coming year, our other major problem for the coming year will be Dumbledore" Luna continued, blinking slightly "While a tiny part of me was still hoping that he would try to rush his plans to regain control of Harry and me - that he would go off half cocked, so to speak, it would appear that is not going to be the case"

"I think if there is one thing that is certain in this life" Angela said drily "It is that Dumbledore is a complete cock" There was a moment of complete silence, then Frank started laughing while Alice tried to look scandalised. 

"Angela's observations aside, it would seem that our beloved ex-Headmaster is actually putting some thought into his plans" Luna continued, still smirking "Rather than just launching his misguided crusade with the help of Professor Kitty-Litter, he is going to try to recruit some members of The Order of The Phoenix" She stopped as Sirius sat up straight, looking surprised.

"How do you know about The Order?" He asked.

"I don't" Luna admitted "I just know that Dumbledore is going to talk to some former members - Molly and Arthur Weasley, and Amos Diggory were names they mentioned" She smiled "They have already ruled out you and Miss Tonks, just to put your mind at rest"

"Thank Merlin for small mercies" Sirius said with a chuckle.

"So what's The Order?" Harry looked over at his adoptive father.

"Dumbledore claims it was an ancient organisation that goes back to the dawn of time, and is reformed every time someone truly evil rises" Sirius paused "The story goes that he joined it in 1937 when the war against Grindelwald was heating up, and he became the leader when the former leader died during the final onslaught in 1945 - Dumbledore's epic battle and defeat of Grindelwald only sealed the deal, so to speak" 

"And now?" Neville asked.

"When it became apparent that Lord Voldemort was becoming a problem, Dumbledore reformed The Order" Frank continued the story "We - Alice and I - were a part of it, as were Sirius, Remus and your parents, Harry" Harry looked over at Sirius for confirmation, and Sirius nodded "We followed Dumbledore's direction in the war - and when he came to us to suggest we go into hiding, we never thought twice about listening to him" 

"He was the first one to arrive after Barty Crouch Jr and The Lestranges came to our house" Alice said quietly "We thought he was going to help us, but instead he stunned your father and I before we could fight back, and the next thing we knew we woke up in Little Whining" She sighed "We didn't even know who we were until your friends rescued us this past year" She shook her head "I can't believe we ever trusted him"

"He fooled an entire country, sweetie" Sirius said sympathetically, then looked back at Luna "Should we try talking to some members of The Order before he can get to them?" Luna paused, while Harry and Hermione both smirked "What?"

"Usually asking Luna for an opinion about the future is like asking a stone wall for an opinion about anything" Harry pointed out. 

"She doesn't want to act like she is in charge, or like she is directing everyone, given she is the youngest one here" Hermione added. 

"Do you mind?" Luna said with an amused grin "I am entirely capable of speaking for myself, you know"

"We know" Harry and Hermione replied in unison, making Luna laugh. 

"I was going to say, Sirius, it's pretty much up to you" Luna looked back at the older man "Some of them might wonder why you are talking to them about Dumbledore - why you think he is going to be coming back and why he is paying so much attention to Harry and Luna" 

"Which is not something I can explain" Sirius nodded "What about the others?"

"There are a lot of Dumbledore loyalists in The Order - if you tell them that he is going to recruit them, and warn them off, it might make them more suspicious about you" Luna blushed slightly "And you don't have the best reputation in parts of the magical world" 

"True" Sirius paused "So what do you think?"

"That if you try to juggle two elephants, it probably won't end well" Luna replied. Sirius stared at her for a moment, then smiled.

"So you are saying it's pretty much up to me?" He asked.

"I couldn't have put it better myself" Luna replied, making him laugh.

"I will give it some thought" He said after a few moments "Maybe Remus - I know that his..... faith in Dumbledore is not what it was. And - and I really can not believe these words are about to come out of my mouth - but perhaps Severus?" Frank and Alice both turned to stare at him in disbelief.

"You?" Alice asked.

"Want to work with Severus Snape?" Frank stared at him in continued surprise. 

"He has changed" Augusta said placatingly "He is definitely not the snot-nosed little bastard he used to be" She looked over at Angela "I think now that he is free of Dumbledore's influence, he might even turn out to be a good man" She paused, then tilted her head to one side "Well - he might turn out to be a human being, instead of a troll at least" Angela snorted in amusement.

"Sirius and Severus......" Alice started, then trailed off. 

"If you say 'sitting in a tree' be aware you could traumatise me for life" Neville smirked. 

"Not just you" Sirius added. 

"Never crossed my mind" Alice gave them an evil grin, then looked back at Luna "It's nearly morning, Miss Lovegood"

"I know, and we are done" Luna stretched "Back to school day is in a week, and back to school day four days after that" She looked around the room "If anyone has any questions, you can talk to me any time - I may not answer them, either because I can't or because I can't, but I promise I will do my best" She paused, then smiled "But - for now - enjoy the rest of your evening" She jumped off the stage, then clicked her heels together three times and vanished.

xoxox

"Severus" Lucius watched as the Hogwarts Headmaster walked in to the sitting room at Malfoy Manor and took a seat "Welcome"

"Lucius" Severus inclined his head "I thought that, given how close we are to the start of a new term, I should come and update to as to the progress of our master's plans"

"Indeed" Lucius leaned back in his chair "You aren't concerned that someone will see you coming and going from The Manor?"

"No one is looking for me" Severus smiled smugly "Since Albus' somewhat ignoble departure from the school, I am - quite literally - my own master" He paused "The Dark Lord's rule excepted, of course"

"One would hope" Lucius smiled "So - how are things going at the school? Will you be ready on time?"

"Of course" Severus nodded, looking slightly offended "The Ministry, including that buffoon of a Minister, has made all the arrangements for The Tournament. Security within the school is, as always, being left up to me so I do not believe that will be a problem. Neither will be ensuring that Mr Potter is entered into The Tournament, as The Goblet will be under my purview as well" He paused "And since he, and his friends and family believe I am firmly reformed and on the side of light, I will be able to provide support and encouragement and tips for them to make his way through The Tournament so that he will be in the right place at the right time when Our Lord springs his trap"

"And you are certain he will be able to do this?" Lucius leaned forward "Because we are talking about the return of The Dark Lord, Severus, and if it does not go all to plan, then Our Lord will not be happy"

"I am well aware of that, Lucius. I do not need reminding of my duty" Severus snapped "And while there will always be the possibility of unforeseen events, I believe that everything is under control" He stood up "If that is all?"

"One more thing" Lucius said in the same calm, collected drawl "While we understand that once term begins again you might not be able to visit us as frequently as we would appreciate, we still expect you to keep us up to date with the progress of this project" 

"I understand" Severus stared down at him "And if I can not be here in person, I can assure you that you will receive regular updates" He paused "Good night, Lucius"

"Good night, Severus"

xoxox

One week later, the six children lined up in a row in the entrance hall of Grimmauld Place, while Jessica and Owen stood in front of them.

"Hermione, does everyone go to Diagon Alley today?" Owen asked "Will every student witch and wizard be there?"

"Pretty much" Hermione nodded.

"So it's going to be pretty crowded, and possibly full of people who think we are inferior?" Owen asked.

"Yes" Hermione nodded again, smiling slightly.

"Excellent" Jessica grinned "So that should be a lot of fun" She looked along the line of children "Faith, Xeno and Augusta are meeting us there" She turned to Neville "Your parents....."

"They told me before I left yesterday" Neville gave her a reassuring nod "While they know they did nothing wrong, and have nothing to be ashamed about, they aren't quite ready to face the public yet"

"So, now - have you all washed behind your ears?" Jessica asked.

"Yes, mum" 

"Are you all ready to go?" Owen added.

"Yes, dad"

"Are you all wearing clean underwear?" Jessica finished.

"Why should we be wearing clean knickers?" Angela asked, frowning. 

"You mean you aren't wearing clean knickers?" Sally looked at her girlfriend, eyebrows raised.

"You watched me put them on" Angela replied with a smirk, then - at the look both Owen and Jessica gave her - added "Just kidding, but still - why do we need to make sure we are wearing clean underwear?"

"It's in case we have an accident" Harry said "If you get hit by a car, or attacked by a dark wizard or charged by a rogue acromantula, then it is important that you have clean underwear when you arrive at St Mungo's" Angela stared at him for a moment.

"If I get charged by the spider a size of a horse, I can promise you the last thing I am going to have is clean underwear" She said after a few seconds, making Harry roll his eyes and both adults snort with amusement.

"Well - Angela's issues with her knickers aside, if we are all ready to go, then lets go" Jessica said, then tilted her head to one side "Luna?"

"Yes, Doctor Granger"

"I know that you are usually somewhat....... reticent about telling people the future, but it would be nice to know if either you or Luna, or any of the other children - come to think of it - are safe from being kidnapped by Dumbledore or McGonagall while we are all out and about" Jessica paused, then tilted her head to one side "Did you just answer my question before I asked it?"

"Yes, Doctor Granger" Luna repeated.

"You'll get used to that" Harry said with a smirk.

"And it will only annoy you most of the time" Hermione added.

xoxox

"I want you all to behave today" Molly looked at Fred, George, Ron and Ginny "And yes - I am talking to you two" She glared at the twins "Now that Percy has got a job, he isn't here to help me ride herd over you two, so I want you both to watch your brother and sister"

"Our pleasure, mum" Fred stared at Ron "We will definitely keep our eyes on them"

"All of our eyes" George added, smirking at Ginny. 

"MUM! You can't let them watch us! They are lunatics!!"

"But cute lunatics!" Fred pouted at her.

"The kind of lunatics that makes other lunatics go 'MWAHHHHHHHHHH'" George added. 

"Ginny - I can't watch everyone, and both you and Ron need new robes" Molly said calmly "So while I am getting you new robes, the twins will make sure you don't get into any trouble" 

"You are asking the twin terrors of Hogwarts to keep us out of trouble?" Ginny arched an eyebrow at her mother. 

"You will do what I say, Ginevra" Molly's voice became firm "Now - let's go" 

xoxox

Augusta, Xeno and Faith walked into Diagon Alley.

"Did Jessica say when they would be here?" Xeno asked. 

"About ten minutes" Faith replied, glancing at her watch "Do you think we should get some shopping done before they arrive?" 

"I don't think that would be wise" Augusta shook her head, glancing down The Alley "If Albus or one of his minions decides to try something today, we really should be here"

"That's okay, Grams" Angela bounded up to her and gave her a hug "We have it on very good authority that The Great and Powerful Oz will not be doing anything today" She released her grandmother, then watched as Neville hugged Augusta as well. 

"We do?" Augusta raised her eyebrows, then glanced over at Luna.

"We do" Hermione said. 

"That's okay then" Faith smiled, and looked over at Jessica and Owen "So - if we are free from the threat of His Dark Shadow, what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"Harry and Neville need new robes" Owen said "They are growing like someone fed them the left side of the mushroom"

"They are?" Augusta raised an eyebrow. 

"They are" Owen nodded "So I was thinking Angela and Sally will go with Augusta to the apothecary, Neville and Harry will go with Jessica and Faith to the robe shop, I'll take Hermione to the book shop and Xeno and Luna probably already know what they are going to do" Luna laughed. 

"We'll meet you and Hermione there, then everyone else at Gringotts" She said, still smiling. 

"So - if no one has any questions?" Owen looked around "See you all at the bank in about forty five minutes"


	3. Back To School

"Good morning Harry, Neville" Ginny ran up to the two boys, Molly trailing slightly behind her "I was hoping I'd see you here!" 

"Ginny" Neville replied, while Harry restricted himself to a nod "How was your summer?"

"You didn't hear?" Ginny asked in surprise "About The World Cup?" Harry and Neville exchange confused looks, then looked back at Faith and Jessica.

"The World Cup was in America" Jessica said with a shrug "Brazil beat Italy on penalties" She paused "It was kind of boring" She looked at Ginny "I didn't know witches and wizards watched football" She realised Ginny was staring at her with blank bemusement "You don't watch football?"

"The Quidditch World Cup final" Ginny explained "Between Bulgaria and Ireland" She looked at Harry and Neville "Dad got some extra tickets from work" She smiled at Harry "He tried to get in touch with you, but your house was unplottable?"

"Xeno and Sirius felt that - given our history - having some protection would be wise" Harry smiled "And since our friends have been very vocal in their support of us, the protections were extended over their houses as well" He paused, then shrugged "Sorry"

"It's not your fault" Ginny reached out and patted his arm sympathetically "It just means your doing something right" She smiled "Anyway - Ireland won, even though Bulgaria caught the snitch, but after the match Death Eaters attacked the camp site"

"Death Eaters?" Faith asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Twenty of them" Ginny nodded "They were setting fire to things and blowing things up and so on" She shivered "At one point they started....... playing with the muggle farmer who owned the land" Harry and Neville frowned.

"Playing?" Harry asked darkly.

"You don't want to know" Ginny shook her head "But then the weirdest thing happened" She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly "The Dark Mark appeared, and the Death Eaters ran away" 

"They ran away?" Neville blurted in surprise.

"As if it terrified them as much as the rest of us" Ginny nodded.

"What does that mean?" Jessica looked between Faith, Neville and Ginny "I mean - is it strange?"

"The Dark Mark is the sign of..... you know who" Ginny explained.

"During Voldemort's first rise, he would raise it over a house when the Death Eaters committed a murder" Faith said quietly "Or when he wanted to summon his followers to a certain place" She slid her left sleeve up "Every Death Eater has a small tattoo of it just about her" She pointed to a position halfway up her left forearm.

"So why would The Death Eaters run from it?" Jessica nodded in understanding. They stood there in silence for a few moments, then she shrugged "Well - even if we are all going to be killed in our beds, the boys still need robes" She pulled the door to Madam Malkin's open, and let Harry and Neville go inside.

"Ginny needs them too" Molly smiled "She is growing up so fast - she'll soon be ready for her first formal courting" She and Ginny went in, and Jessica looked at Faith.

"Subtle" Faith said under her breath, making Jessica laugh as they both walked into the shop.

xoxox

"Five sets of Year 4, and one of Year 3 please" Angela said at the counter of the apothecary.

"Yes, miss" The young woman behind the counter nodded "Give me five minutes?"

"Of course" Angela smiled back at her, then turned to see Sally and Augusta looking around the advanced potion making equipment "Something interests you?"

"Not me, my granddaughter" Augusta smiled fondly at her "But my two children - especially my daughter-in-law - were amongst some of the masters in the craft before their...... confinement" She paused "If they hadn't been attacked I think they might have been a serious threat towards Voldemort"

"Wow" Sally looked at her in awe "I didn't know that"

"It was a well kept secret" Augusta admitted "It didn't seem wise to tell anyone while they were sleeping - the Death Eaters that escaped punishment might have come to finish them off - and before that......." 

"You didn't want to tip him or them off" Angela nodded "Now that they are..... no longer sleeping, will they be returning to their craft?" Augusta smiled.

"We shall see, granddaughter of mine" She said, then looked at the equipment in front of her again "Although maybe some new equipment might stir their interest a little"

xoxox

Hermione walked through the shelves of Flourish and Blotts, occasionally pulling a book off the shelf before putting it back again, then walking on. Owen was sat in the reading area, a copy of "Hogwarts: A History" on his lap. 

"A complete history of The Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Hermione pulled the book off the shelf "Even if what our regent says is true, it won't hurt to be forearmed" She continued up and down the shelves, adding three more books to her pile, then walked up to the counter "Good morning - I'd like to take these, and five sets of Fourth Year Books plus one set of Third Year Books" 

"Of course, Miss" The man behind the counter nodded "Do you have an account, or will you be paying for them now?"

"I've got a letter....." Hermione opened up her bag, then pulled out a letter Harry had signed before they left the house "A letter signed by The Heir to The House of Potter, saying that all the books will be paid for by his house"

"Very well - if you will just give me a moment" The man gave a polite nod, then turned and walked into the back of the shop. Hermione looked along the counter, but didn't see anything that court her eye. A moment later, the man returned, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, miss, but this account has been closed by Gringotts" He said.

"WHAT?" Hermione exclaimed, drawing her father's attention. Owen put the book down and walked over to the counter.

"What's wrong love?"

"I don't know" Hermione said, gesturing at the man "Something about the account being closed?" Owen looked over at the man.

"I was just telling the the young lady....."

"My daughter"

"Your daughter that this account has been closed by Gringotts" The man said "Apparently the person in control of the account has closed it, and said it can no longer be used without his permission" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Dumbledore" She whispered, then looked at her father "The others are going to have the same problem"

"Even Harry?" Owen asked in surprise.

"He isn't of age, and he wasn't in the magical world for so long" Hermione said, understanding lighting up her eyes "Dumbledore would have been in charge of his House, and so....." She trailed off "Those little monsters" She shook her head, then looked at the man behind the counter "Could you put these to one side for me? I will be back when we've got this sorted out"

"Of course, miss" He smiled.

"Thank you" Hermione beamed at him, then turned to her father "We should go - I think we will need to be at the bank a lot earlier than we planned"

xoxox

Five minutes later, Hermione and her father arrived at the steps that lead up to Gringotts and found that the rest of the group were waiting for them.

"Let me guess" Hermione said "You all went to pay for your various bits of booty and discovered that the account letter that the wonderful Mr Potter had given us was entirely useless?" 

"The young woman at the apothecary was very nice about it, but we had to leave our stuff behind" Angela nodded.

"Madam Malkin was less nice about it" Jessica frowned "Bitchy woman" Neville smirked.

"Mr Di'Angelo was polite enough, but still - that was fairly embarrassing as moments go" Hermione said, then turned to Harry "I don't suppose you have any idea?"

"Xeno and I were talking, and we think it is Dumbledore" Harry sighed "I've flooed Sirius, and asked him to come to the bank - he should be here in about five minutes"

"But how can....." Jessica started.

"When James and Lily were......" Xeno started, then glanced at Harry "Sorry about talking about this, and about you in the third person, but it will be the easiest and quickest way"

"I have got used to my fame, Xeno" Harry smiled "Have at it"

"Thank you" Xeno nodded, then looked back at the group "When James and Lily were killed, and Harry was secreted away in the muggle world, he would have needed someone to take over his magical accounts" Xeno paused "And since Dumbledore was the only one who knew where he was, he wouldn't have thought twice about appointing himself" 

"It makes sense" Faith said "In a twisted, world domination kind of way"

"And since Harry's parents are now dead, Harry would need a magical guardian. And who better to fulfil that role than the most beloved man in the magical world?" Xeno continued "So flash forward to now, and despite the fact Sirius is now Harry's magical guardian, it is entirely possible that Dumbledore has managed to retain control of Harry's finances - the goblins wouldn't care either way, and he could have set it up in such a way knowing that Sirius might regain control of Harry one day"

"Control?" Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Guardianship" Xeno said with a smile "But you get the idea"

"Yes" Jessica nodded "Is there anything we can do?"

"That will kind of depend on Sirius" Xeno said "And on how Dumbledore has arranged all this" 

"Arranged all what?" Everyone looked round as Sirius walked up to them, then pulled Harry into a hug "So, kiddo, what's up?"

"It seems that Dumbledore has managed to bankrupt The House of Potter" Harry said in a calm voice "My trust account has been closed down and no one can pay for anything" He paused "We haven't been into Gringotts, but we're worried that it might extend beyond the trust account"

"It's possible" Sirius nodded "I mean, I signed some papers when I became your guardian, but I was just so happy to be innocent and out of that hell-hole that I may have missed some stuff" He paused "Shall we go inside and find out just how badly I stuffed this up?"

"Sirius! No!" Harry glared at him "No matter what has gone wrong, this is not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it is Dumbledore and the goblins!" He continued to glare at Sirius until Sirius gave a reluctant nod "Okay then - lets go"

xoxox

"Mr Black, Mr Potter" A goblin named Ragnut sat behind the desk, staring at Harry and Sirius "It would seem that your fears are well founded. The trust fund, and the majority of The Potter fortune is in the control of Mr Dumbledore, as he was designated as the guardian of Mr Potter's finances when James and Lily Potter were killed" 

"But I am his father - his adopted father" Sirius said "And Dumbledore is a wanted fugitive"

"So were you" Ragnut said "Unless a wizard or witch is convicted, we have no duty to pay any attention to what your Ministry may declare" He waved his hand dismissively "The two family vaults remain untouched - they can only be managed by someone of Potter blood, so they will be held in trust until Mr Potter comes of age or designates someone...."

"Sirius, Luna, Xeno and Hermione" Harry said without hesitation. 

".....to look after them" Ragnut paused "Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger are also not of age, correct?" 

"Correct" Harry nodded "But Sirius and Xeno are most definitely old enough" He paused, then glanced at Sirius "No offence" Sirius smirked "So I would like to designate them as being in charge of The Potter Family vaults" 

"Very well, and I will put Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood down as the two secondary Heirs" Ragnut made a few notes "However in regard to the money, I do not believe there is a lot that I can do. Mr Dumbledore was the legally designated manager of the money....."

"He designated himself the manager of the money!" Sirius snapped "He stole it!"

"It was all done within Ministry law, Mr Black" Ragnut replied "If you want someone to blame, then blame your Ministry" Sirius glared at him, but Harry rested his hand on Sirius' arm. 

"Ragnut - may I ask a question?" Harry said, a twinkle in his eye. 

"Of course, Mr Potter" Ragnut tilted his head to one side "You are one of our largest depositors, even without The Potter fortune"

"What if I were to die? Or seem to die?" Harry leaned forward "Dumbledore is managing the money in my name, yes?"

"Yes" Ragnut said, narrowing his eyes. 

"So if I were dead, then he would have no more claim to the money?" Harry continued.

"Of course" Ragnut nodded.

"What would happen to it then?" Harry asked.

"It would return to The House of Potter" Ragnut paused "However should you really be considering killing yourself?"

"Oh - no" Harry shook his head "I have no desire to die - I have far too many things to do" He smiled, then looked at Sirius "I want to sell you the contents of the vaults, and anything else that might still be mine, so you can move them into The House of Black" He paused, then looked at Ragnut "I can do that, right?"

"Yes, but whatever money you accept will be......" 

"Under Dumbledore's control" Harry nodded "I am aware" He looked back at Sirius "Sirius Lee Black - I would like to sell you everything that belongs to The House of Potter, except for me, for the magnificent sum of 1 knut" Sirius stared at him with an amused grin. 

"Harry James Potter, I accept your offer" He held out his hand "You have a deal" Harry shook his hand, then looked at Ragnut "You will see too it?"

"Yes, Mr Potter" Ragnut nodded "The property of The House of Potter now belongs to The House of Black, and The House of Black will be debited one knut in trade" He paused "I am still curious, though, how you will regain control of your money?"

"Well that's where my dying comes in" Harry took a deep breath "But I do have one question" He paused "Luna was telling me about extinct houses - houses where all of the primary heirs have died and so The House itself has died out" He took another deep breath "My adoptive father is The Head of The House of Black, and he now owns everything that belonged to The House of Potter. So I would like to declare The House of Potter extinct and become Harry James Black - heir to The House of Black" He paused "Can I do that?"

xoxox

"Mr Black" Luna gave a polite nod as Sirius and Harry walked back into the lobby of Gringotts, then looked at Harry with a grin "Mr Black Junior"

"Seemed like a good idea" Harry shrugged "Plus being a part of my father's family has to be a good thing" He paused "Plus if we can bankrupt Dumbledore then it's definitely a win win"

"Mr Black Junior?" Hermione asked. Harry looked at Luna.

"Do you want to tell her?" He asked. Luna smiled, then looked at the rest of the group.

"Ice-cream for everyone!" She said, then glanced at Harry and lowered her voice "If we are going to discuss the goblins, we probably shouldn't do it on their land"

xoxox

Ten minutes later they were sat in Florean Fortescues around a large table in the corner. Luna looked around, then waved her wand, silencing the area.

"So - Harry is a member of The House of Black now?" Hermione asked.

"He is" Luna nodded "Because the goblins are a bunch of greedy bastards, they are all about playing both sides against each other. So they were quite happy not to tell Sirius or Harry that Dumbledore would retain control of The Potter money while Sirius took control of Harry because it pits two wizards against each other and keeps all of them out of the goblins' business" She sighed "They really are a bunch of feckless bastards" She paused.

"Anyway" She shook her head "Despite stealing all of Harry's money, the goblins couldn't steal his House's property - that belongs to The House of Potter - so Harry sold the entire contents of the vault to Sirius for a reasonable price" Harry held his hand up.

"I also made Xeno, Luna and Hermione regents of The House of Potter" Harry said, then blushed "Although once Luna finishes her story you'll see why telling you that might have been a bit pointless" 

"Because Dumbledore was legally appointed Harry's financial guardian, no one - not the goblins, not The Ministry - can take it off him" Her face darkened "Despite the fact he appointed himself to that position" She shrugged and her face brightened again "However he is acting as the guardian on behalf of Harry as the last remaining member of The House of Potter......"

"Oh my god" Hermione's mouth fell open, then a blob of ice-cream fell off her spoon, making Angela snort in amusement. Hermione turned to Harry "Did you do...... did you do what I think you did?"

"That depends" Harry smiled.

"You declared your own house extinct?" Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief "You declared The House of Potter extinct?" 

"The only thing that was left was the money" Harry shrugged "And once My House becomes extinct, the money reverts to me" He paused "Right about now our beloved Headmaster will be finding out he has no money, no influence and that he is completely screwed" He paused, then smiled "And you thought ice-cream was going to be the best part of today"

xoxox

Half an hour later, Harry and Hermione walked into Flourish and Blotts and up to the counter.

"Good afternoon" Hermione said "Do you remember me?" 

"Of course - you have some books set aside?" The man nodded.

"Yes" Hermione smiled, then looked at Harry "You have the letter?" 

"What letter?" Harry asked, then grinned when Hermione whacked him on the arm "Yes, yes - I have the letter. God - does Neville know you are this violent?"

"Why do you think he likes me?" She smirked.

"There are just some things I don't need to know" He shook his head, then handed her the letter.

"Thank you" Hermione smiled, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Your books, miss" The man returned with a bag "So - can you pay for them?"

"I can" Hermione handed over the letter. The man scanned it, then looked up at Harry.

"Harry Black?" He asked "Aren't you Harry Potter?"

"You would think so, but no" Harry shook his head, and pointed to the signature on the letter "See - Harry Black" The man stared at him for a moment, then shrugged.

"What do I care" He vanished in to the back room, then came out a few minutes later "Okay - this account is valid, so you can take your books" He smiled "Enjoy"

"Thank you, sir" Hermione grinned, then picked up the bag, slipped her arm through Harry's and together they walked out of the shop. 

xoxox

"Albus - I think you should read this" McGonagall said, holding out a piece of parchment as an owl flew away.

xoxox

"So that was a slightly more..... exciting day than I thought it would be when we left" Angela said as she and Sally walked down Diagon Alley towards where the rest of the group were waiting "Ginny flirting with Harry, Harry wiping out an Ancient and Noble House that has existed for over a thousand years....."

"And we got a discount on hot-dogs!" Sally grinned. 

"They were very nice hot-dogs" Angela admitted, then they stopped as they caught up with the group "So - are we all done shopping? Ready to go home?"

"I think so, yes" Sirius nodded "We've got everything we need and we've completely wrecked the social order of the magical world - life could not be more perfect" He looked around the group "Does anyone have anything else to do?"

"You are sure my finances can't be screwed with?" Harry asked.

"I am The Head of The House of Black" Sirius said "And - despite what it might seem like - I am an adult, so no one can tell me what to do" He paused "Plus you, Luna, Hermione, Xeno and Jessica are now listed as secondary heirs, just in case something happens to me"

"Wise move" Harry smiled. 

"But to answer your question, no - your finances can't be screwed with" Sirius smiled, then put his hands together in an arch "Except by me, mwahahahaha" He paused "No - they can't be screwed with" Harry laughed.

"Good to know" He smiled, then looked around "So is everyone ready to go?" 

"One moment, Mr Potter" Harry looked round to see Director Bones and Tonks coming down the street towards them "Do you have a moment?"

"Director" Harry nodded, then glanced over his shoulder "Do you want to go somewhere private?"

"No - we'll be quick" Amelia shook her head "Given that Dumbledore and McGonagall are still on the loose, I wanted to offer you the option of a squad of Aurors as protection for the trip from King's Cross to Hogsmeade" She looked at Tonks "Young Tonks here will be leading the squad and I can promise you that no members will be from The Order" Harry looked at Sirius and Xeno, who both shrugged.

"Thank you for the offer, Director" Harry replied "But I think we can look after ourselves" He smiled "Besides, Dumbledore would have to be insane to try to attack The Express"

"And of course Dumbledore hasn't done anything that isn't insane?" Luna asked from behind them, making Harry laugh.

"My beloved's point aside, I think that - given Dumbledore's history of using things as a diversion, you should deploy your staff to make sure he doesn't hit anywhere else" He smiled "But, as I said, thank you for the offer"

"My pleasure, Mr Potter" Amelia gave him a polite nod.

"However there is one thing you should probably know" Harry glanced at Sirius, who nodded "My name isn't Mr Potter any more" 

"It's not?" Tonks asked, then she looked at Luna "You married him already?"

"Yes" Luna nodded "He wasn't going to agree but I used the imperious curse to make him give in" Tonks stared at her "Like you've never done that to a guy"

"True" Tonks shrugged. 

"But my magically enforced marriage to Miss Lovegood aside, I am actually now Harry Black" Harry said brightly "The House of Potter has become extinct, and I am Sirius' Heir" Amelia and Tonks stared at him blankly.

"You declared your own House extinct?" Amelia asked.

"Yup" Harry nodded "So - thank you for the offer, and we'll see you later" Harry turned to Sirius "Lets go" 

"Yes, boss" Sirius smiled, then the entire group walked off down The Alley leaving Amelia and Tonks staring after them.

"He declared his own house extinct?" Amelia asked again.

xoxox

Four days later Frank and Alice lead the group onto Platform 9 3/4, to a stunned silence from the crowds already on there. They walked down the length of the platform, then came to a halt at the second to last carriage.

"So - remember the three most important things" Alice said as Owen and Damian took the trunks on board "One - at least two of us will be in The Dreamland every night, so if you need any help we'll be about. Two - if you can't be good, be careful. Three - if you get a chance to set Severus on fire, you should do it" 

"MUM!" Neville exclaimed.

"Sorry - force of habit" Alice shook her head "Three - if it turns out that our friend is wrong about the future, then get hold one of us as soon as possible" She smiled "Plus Sirius will be there anyway"

"Thank you, Aunty Alice" Sally smiled "And I promise we will keep all of that in mind"

"Okay" Alice grinned, then looked up the platform, where Molly and the four Weasley children were heading towards them "So - want to face Mommy Dearest?"

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do" Sally grinned back at her "Are you sure you're okay with us leaving you to deal with her?" 

"It's been a while since I spoke to her" Alice said "So - enjoy your Autumn term, and we will see you at Christmas" She gave them each a kiss on the forehead as the climbed onto the train, then took a step back as Owen and Damian came out of the carriage, closing the door behind them, just as Molly and the children walked up to them. 

"Good morning, Molly" Frank said with a smile "Fred, George, Ronald, Ginny - looking forward to another term?" 

"Frank?" Molly stared at him in surprise "Alice?" 

"Molly" Alice tilted her head in acknowledgement. 

"I wanted to talk to Harry about a rumour I've been hearing" Molly said.

"The rumour that he married Luna Lovegood after she used an imperious curse on him?" Jessica asked with a grin "Because that definitely isn't true"

"No - it was the cruciatus curse" Frank added with a smirk, then looked at his wife when she slapped him on the arm "Just wanted to get the facts straight"

"I meant the rumour that he has declared The House of Potter extinct and has become Harry Black" Molly snapped "Or that if he is thinking of such a thing, he will change his mind and not disgrace his family name by doing something so terrible"

"I think the decisions Harry makes about his family and his house are his own business" Jessica replied with a shrug, then glanced up at the clock "And since it is two minutes to eleven, shouldn't your kids be getting on The Express?" 

"Are you telling me how to raise my kids?" Molly glared at her. 

"Just looking out for yours in the same way you are looking out for Harry" Jessica replied, then she took her husband's hand "But now Owen and I have to be going - our patients won't wait forever" She looked over at Frank, Alice, Damian and Faith "See you later, guys, and let us know how you get on at Gringotts"

"Have fun and don't do anything we wouldn't do" Alice said as Jessica and Owen walked off down the platform, then she turned back to Molly "Molly - while I know it has been a while since we have spoken, we were friends once, so I think I have earned the right to say this" She paused "Do not trust Albus Dumbledore. He is a vile, evil man and he will betray you as soon as he thinks you have served your purpose. And if you do anything whatsoever to hurt any of my children or their friends, you will learn what it is to be an enemy of The Longbottoms. Do I make myself clear?" She stared at Molly for a moment longer, then walked off down the platform, followed a moment later by Frank, Damian and Faith. 

Molly stared after them, then turned to her children.

"Well - what are you waiting for? Get on the train!"

xoxox

"So, Potter, what's this I hear about you destroying centuries of tradition?" Draco slid the door to the compartment open and strode into the compartment, looking around at the six students.

"Good afternoon Draco" Luna stood up and turned to face him "Firstly, if you know about Harry making the wise and sensible decision to join Sirius' family, why are you referring to him as Potter? It just makes you sound stupid and idiotic" She shook her head sympathetically "Secondly - since Harry is now Heir to The House of Black, it means he is technically your superior, and - in terms of The Black Family - you must now answer to him, and be nice to him, or there is every chance Sirius will kick you and your mother out of the family" 

"He can do that?" Harry asked.

"The head of an Ancient and Noble House can do almost anything" Neville said "Grams has been our Head of family since forever and she has been teaching me" He smiled "The magical world may be embracing democracy bit by bit, but the magical families are still pretty much an empire"

"So Sirius and I could boss him around?" Harry smirked.

"If he wants to inherit any of The Black money" Neville nodded "You could also ask him and his mother to sign a loyalty oath - make them swear not to follow Voldemort or something like that" He glanced at Draco, who was gradually turning more and more red.

"The truth is Draco, The House of Potter was just one person and had very little power" Luna said, looking at the Slytherin "And now he is Heir to one of, if not the single largest Houses in the magical world" She paused "So - go ahead - tell him what a stupid thing he has done, Draco" She folded her arms and tilted her head to one side "I dare you" Draco stared back at her.

"When The Dark Lord returns he will kill you all!" Draco hissed, then turned and stomped out of the compartment. Luna watched him go, then turned back to the others. 

"Is it me, or was that a lot of fun?"

xoxox

"Harry - is it true?" Ginny and Ron came into the compartment "Is what our mother told us true?"

"Yes" Harry said in a dead pan voice "I am only going to Hogwarts to hand in my resignation papers so that I can move to Beauxbatons" Ginny stared at him for a few moments.

"Really?" Ginny asked.

"No" Harry shook his head "So - what did your mother tell you?"

"That you destroyed your House and are now Harry Black" Ron said "Why would you do that?"

"Because Dumbledore stole all his money and it was pretty much the only way to get it back, as well as to screw over that thieving bastard" Hermione said sharply "It also ensures that - whatever happens in the future - Dumbledore or any of his minions won't be able to get control of it again"

"But.... the Potter family has been around since before The Ministry was founded" Ginny said "It is one of the most respected families in the magical world, and is a name synonymous with the side of light"

"The entire Potter family has had nothing but suffering from being aligned with the side of light" Sally pointed out "James and Lily were murdered, James' parents were murdered and Harry spent most of his life locked up in an illegal prison by someone considered to be the paragon of goodness" She paused "I think not being a Potter is the best thing he could do"

"And Sirius has devoted his life to fighting the darkness - he even went to prison for it" Angela said "Harry could do a lot worse as a role model" Ron and Ginny stared at her for a moment, then Ginny looked at Harry.

"What would your parents say?" She asked.

"Don't cast that killing curse at me?" Harry suggested "Oh - wait, that was fifteen years ago, and now they're both dead so they probably won't say anything" He paused "Ginny - once a family is declared extinct, it can't be undone. Your mother must know that, so whatever she sent you to talk to me for, she is wasting her time and your time"

"But......" Ron started, but Ginny held up her hand.

"It can't be undone?" She asked.

"Extinct means forever" Hermione said "The House of Potter is dead and gone - it isn't coming back. There is nothing that you, your mother, The Ministry, the goblins or even The Founders - should they deign to return - can do to change it" She paused "So is there anything else, or are we done?" Ginny stared back at her, then flopped down into a seat. 

"Harry Black" She said to herself "Harry Black" She looked across the compartment at him "Harry Black......." She tilted her head to one side "I suppose I could get used to that" 

"Thank you" Harry replied drily "I am so glad I have your blessing" He paused "So - what did you pick for your electives this year?"

xoxox

Dumbledore, disguised a young man with jet black hair, marched into Gringotts and up to the nearest teller.

"I would like to speak to your manager" He said, keeping his voice low. 

"About what, wizard?" The goblin asked.

"I received a letter telling me my account had been closed, however I believe it must be a mistake because the account is tied to one of the oldest and most established families in the magical world" Dumbledore glanced around "May I speak with him now?"

xoxox

"You wanted to talk to me?" Ragnarok looked across the table at Dumbledore.

"Can I assume that everything in this office will stay private, as is the usual practice?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course" Ragnarok nodded. Dumbledore waved his hand, cancelling the disguise.

"I was appointed manager of The Potter Finances following the death of James Potter in 1981" He said "It was done legally and according to both goblin and Ministry law, I can't be removed from that position until the new Heir comes of age" He paused "So can you explain why I received a parchment telling me that I have been removed from my position?"

"I can explain that, Mr Dumbledore" Ragnarok reached into a draw and pulled out a piece of parchment "I was asked to read this to you......" He looked at the parchment "Dear Albus, Since you are a lying, thieving bastard who imprisoned me and my girlfriend and then stole my money we have decided to give you a taste of your own medicine. You are currently the financial manager of The House of Potter, but earlier today The House of Potter ceased to exist as I declared it extinct. So congratulations - you are now the financial manager of nothing. Enjoy your crown, you stupid old man. Sincerely yours, Harry James Black, Heir to The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black" Ragnarok lowered the parchment to the desk then looked up at Dumbledore.

"The position from which we cannot remove you no longer exists. So you are now have no money to manage, and are probably broke" He paused "Is that everything? Because I have a lot of business to get through and unless there is anything else you are really not worth bothering with now because - as I said - you have no money"

"The House of Potter is extinct?" Dumbledore stared at him "You allowed Mr Potter to declare his House extinct?"

"It is not up to me, Mr Dumbledore, nor is it up to you" Ragnarok said "Mr Black was the sole heir to his former House, and he was very serious about his decision" He shrugged "The decision is made, Mr Dumbledore, and once made it cannot be reversed" He smiled "Are we done?" Dumbledore glared at him for a moment, then stood up and stormed out of the office. 

xoxox

Luna looked out of the carriage window, and smiled. Turning to her friends, she smiled.

"Well guys, lets get this year started"


	4. The Tri-Wizard Tournament

Severus Snape stared out over The Great Hall, then smiled. It was the first time he was in charge of The Welcome Feast, and - for the first time since he had started teaching at Hogwarts - he felt that most of the students actually welcomed his presence at the feast.

He looked up as there was another burst of noise at the door, and he smiled as Harry, Luna, Hermione, Neville, Angela and Sally walked in. He knew there was a bet in the staff room as to whether they would split up and sit at their own tables for The Welcome Feast, and he personally had quite a lot riding on it.

xoxox

"So do we want to make Snape happy, or keep Remus sweet?" Luna said in a quiet voice, glancing up the length of The Hall "Make Professor Vector a lot richer or make sure Madame Hooch starts off the year being able to get a new broom?"

"I say Remus and Hooch" Hermione said "Which now that I have said it out loud sounds kind of like an action film staring a dog, which is kind of insulting"

"Why?" Angela asked "Remus is...... sort of a dog"

"Yeah - but it's Hooch that's the dog in the film" Hermione said with a chuckle "Anyway - I say Madame Hooch and Professor Lupin"

"Ditto" Harry nodded.

"Any objections?" Luna looked around, but no one replied "Okay then. Neville, Sally - would you care to accompany me to Ravenclaw table?"

"If you know the words, I'll hum the music" Neville held his arms out, allowing Sally and Luna to slip their arms into his. 

"Miss Longbottom?" Harry turned to Angela "Would you like me to escort you to Gryffindor, or can you find your way?"

"I think I'll be fine" She smiled back at him, then kissed his cheek "So I will see you later" She turned and walked off in the direction of the Gryffindor table, sitting down between Fred and George. Harry, meanwhile, turned back to Hermione. 

"Shall we?" He asked, offering her his arm. She took it, and they walked over to sit at the end of the Hufflepuff table.

xoxox

Severus allowed himself a wry smile, then glanced along the staff table to see Remus grinning back at him. 

"I will pay you after The Feast" He said, and Remus nodded. Severus looked back as Flitwick entered The Hall with a line of first years following behind him. 

"Here we go" He thought, then watched as Flitwick lead the first years up the centre aisle, stopping in front of The Sorting Hat. Flitwick nodded to him, and he rose to his feet.

"Greetings" Severus said as the students fell silent "While I realise this is a slight break with tradition, I am just starting to realise that - perhaps - it is an adherence to tradition that may have caused so much trouble in the past" He paused, then smiled "So - to all returning students, welcome back. To all new first years - welcome to Hogwarts" There was a huge round of applause, then he looked at Flitwick "Professor - please begin" 

"Yes, Headmaster" Flitwick nodded, then he looked at The Sorting Hat.

  
Gosh, look at all you new little first years,  
Waiting to see where you'll go,  
I've sorted students for years after years,  
For only I am in the know,

Will you be Hufflepuff loyal and true,  
Or Slytherin, cunning and sly,  
Gryffindor bold, are you Ravenclaw smart,  
It's me that will tell you, but why? 

No one sorts like I do  
Or reads thoughts like I do  
Puts you into your house at Hogwarts like I do

So come up and now let me sort you  
place me on top of your head  
I will tell you the house you belong to  
And then Mister Weasley can finally be fed!

Slytherin, Gryffindor?  
Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw?  
I will call out a name and your housemates will roar!  
So come here and sit down, why are you waiting?  
For I am The Sorting Hat!!  


Harry raised his eyebrows, then looked at Hermione.

"What in the name of god was that?" He asked. Hermione smirked.

"Maybe Headmaster Snape has been introducing The Hat to a wider range of music than Dumbledore ever did" She said with a laugh "But as long as it doesn't start taking on other aspects of Gaston's personality, I'll be happy" She paused "I've often dreamed about being Belle - she was my favourite Princess as a kid - but if I have to marry The Sorting Hat?" She shook her head "I'd rather be Rapunzel!"

"Just think of the advantage the hair would give you in a fight" Harry grinned, then they both looked forward as Albertine Fennel was sorted into Hufflepuff.

xoxox

Severus watched as the final student - Emmaline Watson - made her way to Gryffindor - then stood up as Flitwick carried The Sorting Hat off to the side.

"Thank you, Professor Flitwick" He nodded "And to all the new students, welcome to your new houses" He paused "The Welcoming Feast will start in a moment, but I have one announcement to make before that" He looked around The Hall again "Following the events of last year, the staff and I, in collaboration with The DMLE, have spent the summer upgrading the wards, and returning them. And while I will not be so bold as to say they are impenetrable, I will say that they should protect us from our former Headmaster and his associate Professor McGonagall" There were a few cheers, and he smiled "Which means that we will not be playing host to the dementors this year" This time the cheers were a great deal louder, and they were accompanied by a few whistles.

"The main reason for these changes - aside from the obvious security benefits - is that this year Hogwarts will be playing host to a very special event. This year, for the first time in over a century, Hogwarts will hold The Tri-Wizard Tournament!" Severus paused, then - when he realised no one was responding to his dramatic announcement, he gave an internal sigh and continued "The Tri-Wizard Tournament pits three schools against each other in three tasks of skill, courage and daring, until only one wizard can win. The two other schools will be arriving later this month, and after The Feast, a special guest from The Ministry will tell you the details of this fantastic event" He smiled "But, for now, and since I am fairly certain I can hear Mister Weasley's stomach from here, I shall merely say - LET THE FEAST BEGIN!" He clapped his hands together and the tables suddenly became laden with food and drink. 

xoxox

Luna looked down at her plate, then pushed it away. 

"All full up?" Sally asked with a grin.

"Just taking a break before dessert" Luna replied, putting her knife and fork down "Don't want to spoil my appetite after all!" She paused, then her eyes narrowed "Euech - my appetite is spoiled" She dropped her head on the table.

"Luna?" Neville looked at Sally with a slightly worried expression "Are you alright?"

"Just wonderful" Luna said, then raised her hand and pointed at the man who was now walking down the length of The Great Hall towards the staff table "It's him" 

"Him?" Neville asked, then blinked in surprise "Did you and Hermione rehearse this?" Luna raised her head off her plate and looked across at the Hufflepuff table where Hermione was pointing at the man as well.

"Great minds?" She suggested, then sighed "I think Hermione knows who he is as well as I do"

"Perhaps if you tell us who he is, we'd understand" Sally replied.

xoxox

"Bartemius Crouch" Hermione said in a disgusted tone.

"Father of the guy we're supposed to watch out for?" Harry asked curiously.

"The one and only" Hermione nodded "Which is part of the reason both Luna and think he is an appalling human being" She paused "But not the biggest part" She fell silent as Crouch walked up to the staff table and shook hands with Severus.

"Hermione?" Harry prompted.

"Mr Crouch is in charge of The Department of Magical Co-operation" She explained "However before that he was The Head of Magical Law Enforcement - a post he held between 1965 and 1984"

"During the war?" Harry looked at her thoughtfully.

"During the war" Hermione said quietly, then closed her eyes "As the war got worse, he authorised the use of unforgivable curses on suspects, the use of them in arrest operations, the unrestricted use of legilimency and other dubious forms of mind reading, detention without trial and many other practices that are banned by most civilised countries" She took a deep breath then opened her eyes "Most people now agree that his witch hunt - if you will pardon the phrase - put far more innocent people in Azkaban than guilty ones, and hurt more people tan it helped" She turned to glare at Crouch as he talked to Severus. 

xoxox

"He resigned in disgrace after his son was arrested for being a Death Eater, but somehow he wormed his way back into government and now he represents Britain to the rest of the world" Luna finished.

"Wow" Neville exclaimed.

"So what happened to his son?" Sally asked.

"Died in Azkaban" Luna replied "At least that's the story" She paused "But there is still a future out there where he is going to do us some kind of harm, even if I can't see what it is......" She trailed off "Trust me - if he is in charge of the Tournament, this will not end well for anyone" She glanced at the pudding that had just appeared on the table "Yeah - I've lost my appetite"

xoxox

Severus pushed his chocolate pudding away, then rose to his feet.

"Now that you have all.... mostly finished your meal, I will continue with the announcements" He said "The Hogsmeade visits will go on this year, although depending on the dates of The Tri-Wizard Tasks the dates of the visits might be varied from usual. Third years and above can go, providing they have signed permission forms from their parents or guardians" He paused, glancing down at the list of notes on the table in front of him "As part of The Tournament, we will be having a Yule Ball. This will be open to fourth years and above, although anyone from the lower years can go if asked by someone from the upper years" He smiled "It was also pointed out to me that the three lower years might get bored that night, so Professors Black, Lupin and Flitwick have graciously agreed to provide an alternative evening of entertainment for Years one, two and three on that evening" He saw Sirius smirk.

"I should point out attendance at the Yule Ball is mandatory for Years Four to Seven, and you can't skip out just because you think spending the evening with Professors Black, Lupin and Flitwick will be more fun" He resisted the urge to smirk as he saw Luna and Harry both pout in unison.

"I have also been made aware that because most of you won't have known about the ball, you may not have brought your dress robes with you. So for those of you who do not have them with you, or do not have dress robes at all, the robe shop in Hogsmeade will be presenting showings of their wares over the next three weekends here in The Great Hall. They have also agreed to provide new dress robes purchased at these showings for a twenty five percent discount" He paused as a ripple of excitement went through The Hall.

"And now I will turn the evening over to Bartemius Crouch, from The Department of International Magical Co-operation, to tell you more about The Tournament" 

xoxox

Luna stared at the man who stood up, and for a moment contemplated getting up and walking out of The Hall in protest. The amount of evil that Crouch Senior had injected into the world - both directly and indirectly - was far more than Voldemort could even contemplate, and was secondly only to Dumbledore in recent history.

She closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to skate through the a few of the alternate futures, then gave an internal sigh. While leaving would ensure more attention would be focused on The Tournament, and on the circumstances surrounding Harry's coming entry into it, it would also draw far too much attention on to their future activities and hamper what they had to do to get rid of Dumbledore. 

Opening her eyes, she realised almost no time at all had passed. Crouch was just about to speak, and Harry was staring over at her with a slightly concerned expression. She closed her eyes, and let her mind wander again.

xoxox

"Just thinking about leaving, sweetie" Luna's voice spoke in Harry's head "But in the end it do more harm than good"

"But you're okay?" Harry thought back, and saw Luna nod "Okay. Talk to you later?" Luna nodded again "Then lets listen to the words of wisdom from the man from The Ministry"

"Good evening" Crouch said, clasping his hands behind his back "As Professor Snape said, my name is Bartemius Crouch, Head of The Department of Magical Co-operation, and for the past year I have been working on bringing The Tri-Wizard Tournament to Britain and to Hogwarts" He smiled "The Tournament is spread across three tasks, each one testing a wizard to their maximum ability......" He trailed off as he realised a student had raised their hand "Yes, Miss....."

"Granger" Hermione said, standing up "Hermione Jane Granger" She paused "You keep saying 'wizard' - is The Tournament only open to boys?" Crouch stared down The Hall at her, then smiled.

"My apologies, Miss Granger" He tilted his head "The rules I am quoting from were written in the days when witches were generally considered incapable of taking part in a tournament such as this. That is, of course, not how you are viewed nowadays and I did not mean to imply that. With the exception of the conditions I will come to in a moment, The Tournament is open to anyone" Hermione gave a brief nod, then sat down.

"As I was saying" Crouch continued "Each task tests a..... mage to their maximum ability, using their skill, courage and wisdom. The Tasks will be spread out through the year, and each Task will give a clue to the next one" He paused "The mages themselves are drawn from three schools - one from each. Competing against Hogwarts will be Durmstrang Institute of Magic and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic"

Luna looked across at Harry and gave him a wide smile.

"Looks like we get to see Fleur and Gabrielle a little earlier than planned!" 

"Both schools will arrive later this month, and I would hope that you will make them welcome" Crouch said, smiling "In the past, The Tournament has been open to students of any age. However that lead to a large number of mutilations and deaths, which both our Ministry and The French Department of Magic believe is entirely unacceptable" He paused, then took a deep breath "Because of this, all three schools have agreed that to enter The Tournament, you must of age - at least seventeen years ol...." He stopped as he was interrupted by a wave of boos and jeers from around The Great Hall. The objections went on for a few seconds, then Severus stood up and raised his hands for quiet, and the noise died down almost at once.

"As I was saying" Crouch took a deep breath "You must be at least seventeen years of age to enter. However I have to make it clear - once you enter, you cannot withdraw. You will be bound to compete at the cost of your magic" He looked around "Let me be clear - if you decide to enter, you must be sure of your decision" He paused, then smiled "The decisions as to who will be asked to compete will be made by a magical artefact, but I will give you all more details about that when the other students arrive" He looked around The Hall one more time, then nodded "Thank you" There was a little polite applause, and then Severus stood up again. 

"That concludes the announcements for tonight, so prefects - please escort the rest of your students to your Houses and I will see you all at breakfast tomorrow" He smiled "Good night and enjoy the rest of your evening"

xoxox

As the students started to file out of The Hall, Angela, Harry and Hermione headed towards the Ravenclaw Table. 

"Miss Lovegood, would you do me the most gracious honour of agreeing to be my date to The Yule Ball?" Harry asked.

"Miss Granger, would you do me the most wonderful honour of agreeing to be my date to The Yule Ball?" Neville asked.

"Miss Longbottom, would you do me the most flamboyant honour of agreeing to be my date to The Yule Ball?" Sally asked.

"Flamboyant?" Angela quirked an eyebrow. 

"Well - those two stole the best words!" Sally pouted at Harry and Neville, then looked back at Angela "And you did not answer my question, sweetie"

"Yes, Miss Perks" Angela smiled "I will be your flamboyant date to The Yule Ball" Sally grinned, then leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. Harry and Neville exchanged glances, then looked at their respective girlfriends.

"Yes, Mr Longbottom" Hermione replied "I will be your most wonderful date" 

"Yes, Mr Black" Luna replied "I will be your most gracious date" 

"WOOHOO!" Harry let out a yell, then blushed when he realised the students that were left in The Hall were all staring at him "Sorry" He paused, then shook his head "No - I'm not sorry. You are all just jealous that you don't have a girlfriend as wonderful as I do" 

"Mr Po..... Mr Black" Severus said from the staff table "While I do appreciate your enthusiasm, and young love is truly a wonderful thing to behold, I think it is time you and Miss Granger were getting to bed" He paused as all six friends turned to stare at him with identical expressions of amusement "You are well aware what I meant - now get along before I am forced to give out the first detentions of the year" 

"Yes, Headmaster" All six students replied in unison, then turned and started walking out of The Great Hall. 

xoxox

Luna faded into view in the middle of CnC in The Nexus, and smiled at Harry and her father.

"Things going to plan, my little snorkack?" Xeno asked as Luna bounded over and pulled him into a hug. 

"Yes, Daddy" She kissed him on the cheek, then turned to her boyfriend "Although Hermione's intervention was a bit of a shock - it hasn't made any long term changes, but we should keep an eye out for her, at least until Christmas"

"We should?" Harry asked curiously.

"It's probably nothing, but someone is going to try to put you into The Tournament" Luna stared at him calmly "More than ever I am fairly sure it is Bartemius Crouch Junior - despite his being dead - and now that Hermione has attracted more than a little attention to herself, she might have put herself in his crosshairs"

"And you don't want her to know?" Xeno asked "You don't think she'll be safer?" Luna walked over and sat down on the table in the centre of the room, her legs swinging beneath it. She stayed silent for a few moments, then looked up at them.

"I know it sounds like I am playing with other people's lives - appointing myself some sort of god-empress of the world - but I promise that is the last thing on my mind" She paused "But there are so few futures - one or two at most - where Hermione is in any kind of danger at all, that it seems pointless to worry her about it" She smiled "I have spent most of my life worried about making the wrong choice, about second guessing myself because every choice I make based on what I can see changes what I see - I am not going to wish that on anyone else" She looked over at Harry "Hard as I have tried to keep you out of this, I realise it has become impossible now. But I will leave the magical world before I force any of my friends into the hell my life has become" She grinned "So - for now - we keep an eye on her, and I will keep an eye on everyone else. Agreed?"

"Agreed"

"Okay then" Luna jumped off the table, then waved her hand and a map of The Underland appeared "So - I was thinking we could explore the area by The North Marches tonight"

xoxox

"Are they here?" 

"Yes, Albus" 

"Then lets begin" Dumbledore and McGonagall walked through the door of his study and out into the living room of the cottage, and found themselves facing Alastor Moody, Kinsgley Shacklebolt, Arthur and Molly Weasley and Amos Diggory. While McGonagall walked over and sat down in a seat in the corner, Dumbledore walked to stand in the centre of the room. 

"Good evening, and thank you all for coming" Dumbledore said in a calm, commanding voice "I realise that you are all taking a risk by coming to this meeting, and I am very grateful that you are willing to take that risk" He paused, then his face darkened "Because we are facing a very grave, a very serious threat indeed. And by we, I mean the entire magical world" 

"You Know Who?" Molly asked.

"Alas, Molly, the threat we face is more dangerous than a dark wizard, even more dangerous than a Dark Lord" Dumbledore continued "A mage has managed to work their way into Harry Potter's inner circle. A mage that has, I believe, the potential to one day rule the magical world with a grip far greater than Lord Voldemort could even dream of. And if they are by Mr Potter's side when he fulfils his destiny then they will cement their position as one of the founders of a new world order"

"And if that happens, you think that there will be nothing to stop them taking over the magical world?" Alastor asked.

"The people of this world will welcome them with cheering and applause" Dumbledore nodded with a sad expression "I think that this is part of the mages plan - if they were to try to conquer the world by force, they would, most probably, go the way of Voldemort. However if they make themselves beloved, worshipped and admired then would not need to take the world by force - they would be handed it by a grateful citizenry" He looked around the room "I know that, in recent times, my star has fallen more than a little, and that you have no reason to trust me or to do what I am about to ask of you" He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"But I am asking you you trust the man who lead the war against Grindelwald. The man who lead the war against Lord Voldemort. The man who has, for six decades, kept this country safe and drawn a line against the darkness" He straightened his shoulders "I am asking you to trust me, because I can't stop this mage on my own - I need your help, all your help, to save our world" The room fell silent, then Arthur stood up.

"Headmaster..... Albus - while I admit some of us have watched with surprise, and not a little confusion, while the past year has unfolded, I think I can say that what you have told us now has gone some way to explaining it" He gestured to the other people in the room "You have saved all of our lives more times than we can count, and have done more for our world than anyone else" He paused "I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are all willing to help you with whatever you need" Molly, Alastor, Kinsgley and Amos all rose to their feet as well. Dumbledore looked at them for a moment, then smiled.

"Thank you my friends" He said, then gestured for them to sit down "I know that this is asking a lot from each of you, but I promise that you are doing a service to the magical world that will never be forgotten"

"Can you tell us who this mage is?" Kingsley asked. Dumbledore looked over at McGonagall, who nodded.

"The mage I am talking about is a girl named Luna Lovegood"

xoxox

"Oh my!" Luna exclaimed, coming to a halt in a cave tunnel. 

"Luna?" Harry turned to look at his girlfriend.

"Sweetheart?" Xeno stopped, looking in concern at his daughter.

"Something......." She paused, then a smile crossed her face "Something has changed" She looked at Harry "You, my sweet, are not going to be entered in to The Tournament any more"

"I'm not?" Harry asked, then turned, raised his bow and shot three arrows into an advancing creature before turning back "I'm not?"

"No" Luna grinned "I am"

"NO!" Harry and Xeno shouted in unison.

"It's not your choice" Luna said apologetically, then tilted her head to one side "Choices?" She paused, then shrugged "Dumbledore is meeting with five people right now, and they have radically changed the future - to the point where my name will come out of The Goblet instead of yours"

"Then change it back" Harry said.

"I can't, sweetie, and you know that" Luna replied calmly, and Harry gave a reluctant nod "But it does tell us something we didn't know before"

"That Junior is one of those five?" Xeno asked in surprise, and Luna gave a happy nod "Who are they?"

"Well - that's the thing......" Luna trailed off "From what I can see, the five people Dumbledore and McGonagall are meeting with are Kingsley Shacklebolt"

"One of the most decorated Aurors in The DMLE" Xeno said.

"Amos Diggory"

"A well respected member of The Wizengamot"

"Arthur and Molly Weasley" 

"Two of our oldest friends, and long time members of The Order"

"And Alastor Moody" Xeno stared at his daughter.

"Really?" He asked.

"From what I could see" Luna nodded "Who is he?"

"You know how I rarely use the phrase living legend?" Xeno said "Well Retired Master Auror Moody would be someone I would use it of, and even then it would not do him justice. He has captured or killed more dark mages than anyone in recent history, and has spent his entire life fighting relentlessly against the darkness" He paused, then looked around "I know you wanted to explore, but I think we need to go back to CnC, and maybe talk to the others"

"Okay" Luna agreed, then looked at Harry "You'll come with us?"

"Of course"

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, Luna strode into The Grand Hall at Cair Paravel, flanked by Harry and Xeno, to find the rest of their families waiting for them. 

She outlined what she had told Harry and her father, then looked over at Xeno. 

"I don't know how many of you know the full history of Mr Crouch's son, so I will give you the brief version" He paused, then looked at Augusta, Frank and Alice "I apologise for this, but I think everyone needs to know"

"I understand" Alice said.

"Two days after Voldemort was vanquished, Longbottom Manor was attacked. Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and her brother in law attacked The Manor in an attempt to find out what happened to their master. They tortured Frank and Alice to get the information, however neither of their victims broke, and the three Death Eaters were captured" Xeno paused "However at the trial it became apparent their were four Death Eaters - the fourth being Bartemius Crouch Junior. This revelation destroyed Crouch Senior, ruined his career and saw Junior sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life - quite literally, because it was reported he died in there" 

"He isn't dead" Luna said "I know I have seen a lot of futures, but in every single one, he is a threat"

"And I do not doubt you, my lotus petal" Xeno replied "All I wanted to stress was that Junior is a truly evil man. Not just a dark wizard, but an evil one" He paused "Alastor, Molly, Arthur, Kingsley and Amos are clearly deluded if they are still working with Dumbledore, but by no stretch of the imagination are they evil, or even dark. Kingsley is a decorated Auror and Alastor's status is legendary. Molly and Arthur are..... passionate about being on the side of light and Amos' record in The Wizengamot is second to none"

"So what you are saying is Junior has to be impersonating one of these people?" Hermione asked "They can't be using Junior as a disguise?"

"Pretty much, yes" Xeno nodded "One of these people is not who they say they are" He looked at his daughter "Any ideas?"

"Sorry, Daddy" Luna shook her head "After I learned that the five of them were going to side with Dumbledore, I kind of stopped focusing on what they were doing" She closed her eyes for a few moments, then sighed "I'm sorry everyone - I can't see anything specific any more. They are all still involved, but I can't figure out which one is Junior"

"Don't worry about it, sweetie" Angela walked over and put her arm around Luna's shoulders "The fact we know about these five, even if one of them isn't who they say they are, is still a good thing" She kissed Luna's cheek "You did good, girl" 

xoxox

Molly looked across the table at her husband.

"Are you sure that this is what we should do, Arthur?" She asked hesitantly "I mean, I know that we owe Headmaster Dumbledore a lot, but we are talking about going against Luna - a girl we've known all her life"

"I know, Molly, but from what Albus has said, she has become very dangerous, and she is leading Harry astray" Arthur took a breath "I know what your fondest wish is, my wife, and I know that it can't happen with things as they are" He moved round the table until he was sat next to her "Albus was not wrong - when Harry fulfils his destiny, he will be able to write his own ticket. Fudge will never be able to match his popularity, and he will be able to rule the country as he sees fit" He lowered his voice to whisper "With Luna out of the way, he will - perhaps - need someone to share his life with" Molly stared at the table.

"But if we do this, isn't there a chance will get angry with us and want us out of his life?" She leaned her head on his shoulder "Even if we get rid of Luna, he might not turn to our daughter because of what we're going to have to do"

"I know that is a risk, love, but although we are doing this for our daughter's future, remember we are also doing it for our future, and for the future of the world as well" Arthur turned her face until they were looking into each other's eyes "This is for the greater good, Molly" He stared at her for a moment longer, and then she nodded.

xoxox

Amos gazed down at the picture of his wife - dead these ten years - then took a deep breath.

The magical world needed him, and he wouldn't let it down. 

xoxox

Alastor apparated behind The Hogshead pub, then started to make his way back to Hogwarts. He knew that missing The Welcome Feast was a gamble, and that his absence would have been noted, but Albus was one of his oldest and closest friends and he could not refuse his invitation. 

He walked up the path, contemplating what he should do next. If the Lovegood chit was as dangerous as Albus said, then making sure she was taken down was as important as getting rid of Voldemort. 

He paused as the gates of Hogwarts came in sight, then gave a single nod. Albus had asked him to act, and act he would.

xoxox

"Shacklebolt - report to Director Bones" Kingsley looked over his shoulder at the barked command, then stood up and walked through The Department of Magical Enforcement and knocked on the door to Bones' office.

"ENTER" He pushed the door open and walked in, then sat down opposite his boss.

"Director" He said "Good evening"

"Auror Shacklebolt" She stared at him dispassionately, then smiled "How was your meeting?"

"It was....... enlightening, Director" He replied "Dumbledore and McGonagall are extremely paranoid. Even though I am apparently someone they trust implicitly, their cottage is unplottable and under fidelius, so I can't lead you back there. But I can tell you that he believes one of Harry's friends is dangerous - far more dangerous than Lord Voldemort ever will be" He paused "He wants me to be part of a plan to either bring her under his control, or to ensure that she is dealt with"

"Do you have the name of this associate?" Amelia asked.

xoxox

"Sirius?"

"Yes, Luna"

"We need to talk to Amelia. First thing in the morning" 

"Okay" 

xoxox

The following morning Amelia walked into The DMLE to find Sirius Black, Xenophillius Lovegood, and Augusta Longbottom waiting for her in her outer office.

"I realise that we do not have an appointment, Director, but we need to talk to you and it can't wait" Augusta said firmly. Amelia looked at each of them in turn, then looked back at Xeno.

"You know about my meeting with Kingsley?" She asked.

"Director - if we could step in to your office, I will gladly tell you everything" Augusta said "But I do not want to discuss this in public, where we can be overheard" Amelia paused, then nodded.

"Very well" She said, then walked past them and opened her office door "Please come in" She waited until they had filed in, then she closed the door, walked over to her desk and sat down "So - talk to me"

"Director - my daughter is very special" Xeno said "More special than you can possibly know. But despite what Kingsley told you, despite what Dumbledore told him, she is not a threat, she is not a danger" He paused "And if you give me five minutes, I believe I can convince you" Amelia stared back at him.

"Very well" She replied "Five minutes" 

xoxox

Harry looked across the Ravenclaw table, watching Luna eat her breakfast. Ever since she had told them about Kingsley's meeting with Amelia, he had been worried about her. Despite her calm demeanour, he knew her greatest fear wasn't that she would become a monster - a dictator, god-empress or Dark Witch - but that she would, once again, fall under the control of someone who wanted to use her powers for their own purposes. 

Because he also knew that, if she did fall under the control of someone like that, then it would be the end of her.

_"I won't manipulate my way out, Harry" She said "Even to save my own life, I can't cross that line"_

_"I understand"_

_"But I can't given in - I can't capitulate. Not for one hour, not one second" She paused "Even if they threaten my friends" She looked up at him, and smiled "Even you"_

_"I understand that too"_

_"And if I can't escape, and I can't give in, that would only leave one way out" She gazed into his eyes._

_"I understand" He said for a third time_

Luna tipped three sausages on to her plate, then looked up to see Harry watching her. 

"They are still talking, sweetie. Daddy has another minute and a half" She said in a conversational tone.

"Okay" Harry nodded "But given what's at stake, you can understand my worry, dear heart" 

"I know" She smiled "So I..... peeked on Fleur and Gabrielle. They are both still coming, but I think there is a chance we will have to spend Valentines Day with Gabrielle" Harry blinked at the non sequitur, but before he could ask her what she meant, she dropped her fork and it clattered on her plate.

"Love?" He asked, brow furrowed. For a few moments, Luna remained silent, then she let out a long, slow sigh of relief.

"He convinced her" She said, a smile crossing her face "Daddy convinced her"


	5. Interlude 1 - Into The Woods

She finds herself walking through a forest on a dirt covered path, veiled with trees on either side.

As she walks down the sun dappled path, she hears fragments of singing coming through the trees.

Into the woods  
To find the spell  
That brings the demons  
Forth from hell

She stops and looks around, attempting to find where the singing is coming from.

Into the woods  
We have to go  
We must begin the ritual

Looking over her shoulder, she sees a flash of movement in the distance, but then a moment later wonders if it was just the shifting of shadows.

Into the woods  
To find the thing  
That lets us start  
The mass killing

She freezes on the spot as she hears a twig snap behind her.

Into the woods  
To kill the mudbloods

Turning, she finds herself face to face with a young girl of her height, weight and build but with jet black hair.

Into the woods  
To kil the traitors

A face identical to her own with eyes as blue as hers stares back at her, only with a cold, dead expression she has never seen in the mirror.

Into the woods  
Then out of the woods  
And home to My Lord

"Hello, Luna"

xoxox

She bolted upright in bed, an expression of pure terror on her face.


	6. The Ship and The Carriage

Two weeks later, Harry and Luna stood, along with the rest of the students on the front lawn of Hogwarts, waiting for Durmstrang Institute and Beauxbatons Academy to arrive. 

"I know we are being polite, and that we are supposed to welcome them in a fitting manner" Neville said "But do we have to stand around in the September cold for hours on end? Could they not at least tell us when they are coming?" As he finished speaking, there was a yell from the far end of the row of students, and everyone turned to see what appeared to be a fin slicing through the waters of The Black Lake. 

"They have come inside a giant shark?" Hermione asked in surprise "Magic can do that?" As they continued to watch, the fin turned into mast as more of it emerged, and then the rest of the boat appeared. 

The water cascaded off it as it sailed towards the edge of the lake. A few moments before it arrived, a wooden dock appeared out of thin air, and the ship came to a halt next to it. 

"Impressive" Luna said, glancing over to where Filius was putting his wand away "Do you think he knew they were coming in a ship? Or if he just improvised it?"

"I want to say he knew" Harry admitted "But honestly, I think Professor Flitwick is just that good" They fell silent again as the main hatch of the ship opened and someone - Luna's first thought was that somehow a bear had got lose - emerged from below decks. After it had walked a few feet along the gang plank she realised that it was just a man, albeit a very big ma with a very big beard and long, black hair, and he walked up to where Severus was waiting. 

"Headmaster Karkaroff" Severus nodded "Welcome to Hogwarts"

"Professor Snape" Karkaroff returned the nod "Thank you" He paused "We should....."

"Not here" Severus said quickly "Your students are on the boat?"

"Yes" Karkaroff replied briskly "May I?"

"Be my guest" Severus nodded. 

xoxox

Luna gave a short giggle, then realised her friends were staring at her.

"Sorry" She apologised "Just thinking back to The Sorting. I think our theory about Severus' taste in music might be more accurate than we thought" She shook her head "Anyway - the boys and girls from the north - yonder" She pointed back towards the ship, and they all watched as two ranks of students started to emerge. 

"Durmstrang isn't a boys' school?" Hermione asked in surprise as the twelve boys and girls walked down the gang plank and lined up behind their Headmaster.

"No" Angela shook her head "Very few magical schools are single sex nowadays" She paused "Firstly, and I realise you are going to baulk at this, but most mages meet their future husband or wife at school, and if schools are single sex that makes it ever so much harder"

"Except for me and Angela of course" Sally smirked.

"Of course" Angela rolled her eyes "But, sapphic sisters aside, the primary reason for most parents sending their children to magical school is to find a partner" She paused "The second most common reason for schools being mixed is that almost every country in the world has, to one degree or another, the same problem that Britain does"

"Blood purity?" Harry asked, and Angela nodded.

"While racism, sexism and so on are problems, they are no where near the level of problem that blood purity is right throughout the magical world" She explained "Why bother discriminating against Hermione because she has boobs when you can discriminate against her because her blood is impure?" 

"And if you were to ban women, or people because of their skin colour, then you'd have serious issues with marriage" Sally added "But this way they can pick anyone they want as their bride as long as they come from the right side of the magical divide" She paused "From a certain point of view, it's genius" She looked at the expressions on their faces "A very twisted, evil point of view, obviously"

"Obviously" The other five replied in unison, then turned back to look at the two lines of students.

"So - one of those is going to be a Champion?" Neville asked as Karkaroff introduced them. Then he realised there were murmurs running through the crowd of student, and looked back to the boat as a final student emerged from below decks and started down the gang plank on to the dock "He looks familiar"

"He does?" Harry looked at his friend "Who is he?"

"You don't know Viktor Krum?" A voice came from behind them, and they both turned to see Ron staring at them in disbelief "He's a world class seeker - he played for Bulgaria in The World Cup this summer and caught the snitch. He's the best in the world!" Ron looked back as Viktor Krum walked up to Karkaroff and shook his hand, then turned and shook Severus' hand "The chance to see him compete in this Tournament..... " He smiled "I can't wait" Harry and Neville exchanged glances, then looked back to where the Durmstrang students were still stood behind their Headmaster.

"So we are just waiting for Beauxbatons?" Sally asked.

"And I think we won't be waiting long" Luna smiled, then turned towards the gates. A few moments later, a carriage, drawn by two silver horses, passed through them. It turned down the path and came to a halt in front of the students.

"Not to ask a silly question, but the carriage doesn't look like it can hold a dozen students" Angela said.

"Time Lord Technology" Luna replied with a smirk. Hermione blinked in surprise, then looked at the carriage interestedly.

"Really?" She asked. Luna turned to look at her.

"You've been in the magical world for three years. You've seen The Dreamland, shopping bags and..... well - me, but this is what surprises you?" Luna chuckled.

"It wasn't so much the idea, but how big and comfortable it might be" Hermione explained, then her mouth fell open as the largest woman she had ever seen climbed out of the carriage. 

"Blow me - she's huge!" Angela exclaimed as the woman walked over to where Severus and Karkaroff were stood, dwarfing both of them. 

"Professor Snape, Professor Karkaroff - greetings" She gave a polite bow.

"Madame Maxime" Severus replied "Thank you for accepting our invitation to be a part of this historic event" 

"I consider it an honour, Professor" She inclined her head "But now, if I may, my students have travelled up from Bordeaux, and would like to..... lengthen their legs, I believe is the correct phrase?"

"Of course" Severus nodded "By all means" Maxime waved her hand, and the door to the carriage opened again. A few seconds later, two lines of ten girls came out of the carriage, each one dressed in a light blue uniform, followed by one girl who looked a great deal younger.

"Is it me, or do our classmates appear to be going a little... gaga?" Neville said quietly. 

"The last girl in the right hand line is Fleur Arabella Amalie Delacour" Luna glanced around, then lowered her voice "She is also at least seventy five percent Veela, which is why the more weak willed members of our class are being affected by her allure" She paused "The younger girl with her is Gabrielle Isabella Stephanie Delacour, her younger sister"

"Also a Veela?" Angela asked.

"Also a Veela" Luna nodded "But since she is only eight years old, you would hope no one at our school would be attracted to her" She paused "At least no one on whom the allure would have an affect, if that makes sense" As the fifteen girls came to a halt "And despite what Angela said earlier, Beauxbatons is one of the few single sex schools left in Europe. I am not quite sure why that is, but no doubt Fleur and Gabby will be able to tell us"

"Students" Severus' voice echoed through the grounds "Thank you all for coming out to greet our guests. I will be showing them to their assigned quarters, but tonight there will be a feast to celebrate their arrival. For now, please return to your afternoon classes" 

"Do you want to go and talk to the Delacour sisters?" Harry asked, as the rest of the students started to return to the castle. 

"Maybe during tonight's feast" Luna replied as The Beauxbatons' students started to follow their Headmistress inside "I think they are a little busy now"

"Quite" Harry grinned, then offered her his arm "Shall we, my sweet?"

xoxox

Gabrielle looked around the room, then turned to face her sister. 

_"Did you....."_

"My little petal, while we are in England, you should try to speak English" Fleur said with a smile. 

"Okay" Gabrielle nodded, but then smirked "You know Hogwarts is in Scotland, yes?" Fleur simply stuck her tongue out at her little sister "But what I was going to ask was did you see Harry and Luna?"

"I did" Fleur nodded "I thought we would say hello to them, and their friends, during the feast tonight" She paused "Our families have been friends for decades, so no one will pay much attention to us talking"

"So if we tell them about Mr Kent, no one will give it a second thought" Gabrielle smiled. She flomped down on her bed, then rolled on to her side "Can you wake me up time to take a shower and get dressed before the feast?"

"Of course, my little petal" Fleur bent over and kissed her cheek "Sleep well"

xoxox

Two hours later, Fleur and Gabrielle followed the rest of the Beauxbatons' students down the main stairs and into The Entrance Hall before coming to a halt outside The Great Hall. 

_"Girls"_ Maxime turned to face them _"We have had some seats set aside for us, however if you wish to mingle with the Hogwarts students, you are free to do so"_ She turned, then lead them into The Hall and stopped just inside the doors.

".....and from the south west of France, the daughters of The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!" Severus said "And their Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime" There was a smattering of applause through The Hall, and as Maxime walked up to the staff table, the students started to disperse amongst the tables. Gabrielle and Fleur exchanged glances, then walked over and sat down on either side of Luna.

"Good evening Delacours" Luna said with a smile "And I apologise for not speaking in French, but it is not my strong point"

"My sister and I are using this opportunity to improve our English anyway" Fleur said "Despite the fact we are, apparently, not in England" Gabrielle smirked at her "How are things going with you?"

"Fairly well, thank you" Luna smiled "You are here to compete? Or just as a cheering section?"

"I want to be a champion" Fleur said calmly "To make my family, my school and my country proud" She paused "Gabrielle is here as a cheering section"

"Rah-rah-rah" Gabrielle said in a deadpan voice "Sis-boom.... you know - bah!" Luna burst out laughing "Plus I look very cute when I wave my pom-poms"

"I don't doubt it" Luna said with a smirk, then she looked around before lowering her voice "I don't suppose you've heard any more from Mr Kent since he left?"

"It is like he has vanished off the face of the earth" Gabrielle replied in the same quiet tone "We have...... associates all over Europe, and they have been keeping an eye out for him"

"Nothing?" Luna asked.

"Nothing" Fleur shook her head "There is a chance he has moved somewhere else, but I got the feeling that if he was going to act, it would be in Europe" Luna sighed.

"Are you sure he is a bad guy?" Gabrielle asked "You told me the other people Dumbledore was holding were Frank, Alice, Harry and you, so why would Mr Kent be any different?"

"Maybe he isn't" Luna said with a sigh "But from my experience, good people don't run. Good people explain" She leaned forward "He never told us why he was there, and now he has vanished into the night"

"You think you should have left him there?" Fleur asked "Or put him in some other secret prison?" Luna looked at her, then smiled.

"Good point, my little flower" She admitted "And I suppose there's nothing I can do about it now, what with time travel being impossible" She glanced up The Hall "But I think the rest of this conversation will have to wait until later, because our lord and master is about to speak"

"Good evening" Severus stood at the centre of the staff table "First - a warm welcome to the students from both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. I hope that over the coming year that many new friendships will be made" He paused, letting his words sink in "Now that all three schools are here, I will be able to tell you about how the three Champions will be chosen to compete, and about when The First Task will take place" He smiled "However all that can wait because I understand that the Beauxbatons students have been travelling all day, and the Durmstrang students have come a long way. So, for now, dig in and enjoy" He raised his hands and the tables were suddenly laden with food. 

xoxox

"Luna seems to be having fun" Harry gestured at his girlfriend, sat between the two Delacours, with his fork, then took a bite of the slice of beef hanging off it "Myffnasfh sef sef osifeo seif" Hermione tilted her head to one side.

"Pardon me?" She said. Harry swallowed, then smirked.

"I said 'Myffnasfh sef sef osifeo seif'" He repeated, then chuckled when she rolled her eyes.

"You realise I know a dozen different ways to kill you without leaving a mark, right?" Hermione asked in a deadpan voice.

"I do actually know that" Harry admitted "But what I said was 'What do you think they're talking about?'"

"Sadly you are talking to the wrong girl" Hermione replied "I can't even lip-read, so for all I know she could be talking Fleur into a threesome with you and her" She laughed as Harry sent a fountain of orange juice spurting onto the table "Sorry - maybe my sense of humour needs a bit of adjusting"

"You think?" Harry picked up a few napkins and wiped away the juice "Do you think she's telling them about the future? About The Tournament?" 

"Probably not" Hermione shook her head "She wouldn't be able to tell them how she knew, nor about what was coming, so it would make the conversation kind of limited" She paused "You know, we could just wait until after tea and ask them"

"True"

"Or we could just continue to speculate about what they are talking about, and whoever gets closest, the other one does their homework for a week" Hermione finished.

"You really want me doing your homework?" Harry asked. Hermione furrowed her brow.

"Good point" She said after a moment "The loser.... does something we can agree later?" Harry gazed at her for a moment.

"Okay" He said, then waited until she picked up her glass of pumpkin juice "Maybe she's talking to Fleur about a threesome with Angela and Sally" He leaned to one side as Hermione spat out the drink she had just taken.

"HARRY!"

xoxox

"I wouldn't drink that, if I were you" Angela put her hand on the arm of one of the Durmstrang students. The girl turned to look at her curiously.

"You do not like pumpkin juice?" She asked.

"No" Angela shook her head "But that is not why" She looked down the tables at the Weasley twins "I think that it may have been spiked"

"Spiked?" The girl arched her eyebrows.

"Drugged. Doped" Angela paused "Someone put something in it?"

"Ah, yes" The girl nodded, then looked at the glass "Why?"

"The two boys who did this think they are pranksters?" Angela paused, and the girl nodded "Whatever this does, it probably won't affect you until later on, after the feast"

"Ah, okay" The girl nodded again "So why do you stop them?"

"You are our guest" Angela shrugged "I'm Angela, by the way"

"Sophithea Queen" The girl replied "I am pleased to meet you"

"And I you" Angela smiled, then with a deliberate look at the twins, she picked up the goblet and tipped the contents out on the floor before pouring out another glass of pumpkin juice for Sophithea "Enjoy" 

"Thank you, Angela"

"You are welcome, Sophithea"

xoxox

Severus stood up, and raised his hand, then - a few seconds later as The Hall fell silent - he smiled.

"Now that everyone is suitably refreshed, I will continue with the explanation of The Tournament" He said "In years gone by, there were various methods of determining the Champions, however all of these were subject to various levels of bias, and open to bribery and cheating" He looked over at Sirius and Remus and gave a single nod, at which they stood up and left The Hall "So a hundred years ago, a new method of deciding The Champions was decided. One that negated any human influence, and one that insured it would be done by a purely independent source"

xoxox

Harry looked across to where Luna was sat, and he closed his eyes.

"Is this why you can influence it?" He asked in his mind "Because it isn't human?"

"Yes" Luna mentally nodded "Although I am going to take 'human' to mean 'sentient', because I know that you don't think I would mess around with the minds of goblins, centaurs or acromantula"

"Never cross my mind, sweetie" Harry smiled.

"But this thing - this Goblet - isn't alive, and isn't sentient. It's just a magical construction" She paused, then he got a mental image of a predatory grin spreading across her face "And that means it is mine!"

xoxox

Severus watched as Remus and Sirius carried a wooden box back in, and set it down at beside him.

"Thank you" He nodded, then drew his wand and levitated the box up, revealing a glowing chalice.

"This is The Goblet Of Fire" He announced dramatically "In a few moments, it will be lit, and will remain so until Halloween. During that time, anyone aged seventeen or over can place their names in it, and this will constitute your request to enter The Tournament" He looked around The Hall "On the night of Halloween, The Goblet will choose three names - one from each school - to be the Champions" He paused, then took a deep breath.

"I want to remind you now that if you are chosen, you are bound by magic to compete. You cannot withdraw, you cannot back out. It is a magically binding contract between you and The Goblet" His voice became serious "So do not undertake this lightly, or without due consideration. because if you enter, and are chosen, it is not something you can take back" He let his words sink in, then he took a step back. 

"So, with that in mind, let The Tri-Wizard Tournament.... BEGIN!" He pointed his wand the The Goblet, and bolt of red light shot from it and enveloped the cup. A moment later, The Goblet burst into flame, a blue fire burning in the cup. The entire Hall burst into applause. 

Severus waited for the applause to die down, then he walked back to the centre of the staff table again. 

"You will be able to submit your names from tomorrow, when The Goblet will be relocated to the ante-chamber behind this hall" He announced "But, for now, enjoy the rest of the evening. Thank you" 

xoxox

"What's the inside of your carriage like?" Neville asked, finished off her bowl of ice-cream "Luna described it as Time Lord Technology, which is a reference I still don't quite understand"

"The TARDIS?" Gabrielle looked at Luna "Good analogy"

"I have my moments" Luna said with a smile.

"But The Time Lords can build things that are bigger on the inside" Gabrielle turned back to Neville "They do it through technology, while we do it through magic, of course"

"Any significantly advanced technology can be mistaken for magic" Sally said, then - at various surprised looks - added "Benefits of a very smart girlfriend.

"You're a Ravenclaw, and you are calling your girlfriend smart?" Neville quirked an eyebrow "Are you sure that doesn't mean you have to turn your membership card in?"

"Thhrrrp!" Sally blew a raspberry at Neville, making him laugh. 

"Our carriage is quite nice" Fleur says "It is easily big enough for all the students and Madame Maxime, as well as our bags and another ten or so people if we need them"

"There are also ten beds and a kitchen" Gabrielle added "Just in case we get trapped anywhere and have to wait over night or have to wait around a long time"

"You have a kitchen in that tiny carriage?" Neville stared at them in surprise.

"Beauxbatons girls are always prepared" Fleur and Gabrielle said in unison, then turned in surprise as they realised a third voice had spoken at the same time. 

"Fleur, Gabrielle, may I introduce Harry Black and Hermione Granger" Luna said "Harry, Hermione - Miss Fleur Delacour and Miss Gabrielle Delacour" Harry and Hermione both bowed.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" Hermione said "And may I introduce Miss Angela Longbottom and...." She trailed off as Angela walked over with another girl.

"Sophithea Queen" Angela said "The twins tried to prank her, I stopped them and we became friends" She sat down next Sally and kissed her cheek "So, this is Luna Lovegood, Sally-Anne Perks, my girlfriend, Neville Longbottom, my brother, Harry Black and Hermione Granger" She paused "And two young ladies from France I have never met before tonight"

"Fleur Delacour, and my sister Gabrielle" Fleur said "It's a pleasure to meet you"

"You too" Sophithea replied "You are here to compete?"

"I think I would make a brilliant champion" Gabrielle said with a smile "And I am a lot older than I look" Sophithea stared at her, looking slightly puzzled "My sister says my sense of humour could do with some work" She blinked as both Harry and Hermione started coughing "Was it something I said?"

"Never mind" Hermione waved her hand dismissively, while Luna furrowed her brow, then a moment later got an amused grin on her face, making Hermione blush slightly. 

"But it is I who am planning to enter my name" Fleur said "You as well?"

"Yes" Sophithea replied "Although I do not expect I will be chosen" She glanced over to the Slytherin table, where a number of students were listening to Viktor Krum talking about The World Cup "Our World Cup star is far more likely to be considered Champion material" Harry glanced over at Luna, but she gave a single, subtle shake of her head.

"Well - there are six weeks before we find out" He said "Maybe he will get eaten by a big greasy monster, and you'll get your chance!" He paused "I swear that sounded a lot better in my head"

xoxox

"Auror Shacklebolt, follow me" Kingsley looked up from his desk as Amelia walked past, then stood up and followed her to her office. 

"Close the door behind you" Amelia said, sitting down behind her desk. He turned and closed the door, then - as he was turning back - she continued "Auror - there is something we need to discuss"

"Yes, Director?" 

"Following your meeting with Dumbledore a fortnight ago, I have spoken with a few other people, and I have come to an operational decision" She stared up at him "Miss Lovegood does indeed have the power that Dumbledore believes she has, however I have it on very good authority, from people I trust far more than I trust Dumbledore, that she has no desire to use it to rule the magical world, or to make herself a dictator" 

"Director....." Kingsley started, but Amelia raised her hand.

"I am not finished" She said sharply, and Kingsley nodded "She is, however, concerned and rightly worried that if anyone with any authority in the government learns about this ability, they will try to use her or manipulate her. Dumbledore had her father arrested and held in Azkaban so that he could use her gift, and neither she, nor anyone around her, will let it happen again"

"I understand Director" 

"Good" Amelia stood up and walked round to stand in front of her desk "Because you have two options. The first is to visit our obliviators, and have the memory of your meeting with Dumbledore and Miss Lovegood's power removed from your mind"

"Wouldn't that put a dent in our plans....."

"Yes, but I think that the protection of Miss Lovegood is far more important" Amelia said "The second option is to swear on your magic that you will not reveal anything about Miss Lovegood to anyone without my permission. Needless to say, if you violate this oath, you will lose your magic, and your job" She stared at him calmly "I realise that this would be a risk - while you could still work with Dumbledore, you would not be able to discuss this with anyone he might bring in"

"I understand the risk, Director, and am willing to accept it" He paused, then drew his wand "How would you like me to phrase the oath, Madame Bones?"

xoxox

Dumbledore looked at the front page of The Daily Prophet, then threw it on the table in disgust. 

Igor Karkaroff only escaped prison at the end of the war by selling out his confederates, and now he was parading around Hogwarts as an honoured guest. Not only that, but he had brought an army of potential Junior Death Eaters with him. An army that were now free to talk to his students, mingle with his students - infect his students with their pure blood philosophies and warped beliefs in dark magic. 

"ALBUS!" McGonagall rushed into the room "Calm yourself" Dumbledore looked around, and realised the entire room was shaking. He took a deep breath, then - as he let it out slowly - the room stopped shaking.

"My apologies, Minerva" He said in a penitent voice. He pointed at The Prophet "I was reading about The Tri-Wizard Tournament, and I am sorry to say that my temper may have got the better of me" McGonagall glanced down at the paper, then looked back up at him.

"I understand that you are frustrated, Albus, but we are doing all we can. Until we hear back from the others, there is not much we can do" McGonagall pointed out "Have you heard from them?"

"Arthur and Molly have agreed, and Alastor is going to assist us in Hogwarts" Dumbledore sat down, and gestured for McGonagall to do the same "Amos is still haivering, but I believe with Alastor's assistance we should be able to convince him"

"You are going to use his son?" McGonagall blinked in surprise.

"Of course" Dumbledore nodded "Following the death of his wife, Amos was left a relatively rich man" He paused "However he does have a desire for status and power, and being the father of a Tri-Wizard Champion will give him at least one, if not both, of those"

"And Alastor will be able to ensure that happens?" McGonagall asked "But what about ensuring Miss Lovegood...."

"Miss Lovegood will still be entered as well, have no doubt about that" Dumbledore smiled "And as Cedric will be the true Hogwarts Champion, public opinion will be behind him, and the students will rightfully shun Miss Lovegood. Combine that with the fact she will be subjected to tasks way beyond what she can handle, I think that the danger she presents will be easily taken care of" 

"You are certain she will be out of her depth?" McGonagall asked "You have said yourself that she is incredibly powerful"

"She is a child, Minerva - a powerful one maybe, but a child none the less" He let a predatory smile cross his lips "By the end of the year, she will no longer be a problem"

xoxox 

The following weekend, Sophithea walked across the grounds to the quidditch pitch with Angela and Sally.

"You fly?" Sophithea asked.

"We both do" Angela replied, then grinned at her girlfriend "It's how we met" Sophithea stared at them, blinking.

"How you met?" She asked "Is that..." Sally paused, then stopped and drew her wand.

"May I?" She asked, and after Sophithea nodded Sally waved her wand "Libre translatore" Sophithea was covered by a fine purple mist, which evaporated a moment later "So, does this make more sense?"

"You are speaking Bulgarian?" Sophithea asked in confusion.

"Nope" Angela shook her head "We asked Professor Flitwick to teach us a translation spell" She smiled "It lets you hear anything said in Bulgarian" She paused "Including if we talk about the spark plugs of an internal combustion engine" Sophithea stared at them for a second, then burst out laughing.

"That is very impressive" She said "But how come you two can understand me as well?"

"We cast it on ourselves earlier" Sally shrugged "Since we were coming out flying today, we thought it might be useful" They stopped as they entered the quidditch pitch "So what do you think?"

"Could you teach some of my friends this spell?" Sophithea asked.

"I meant what do you think about the quidditch pitch?" Sally asked with a laugh. Sophithea blushed.

"Sorry" She looked around "It is very impressive, especially for a school stadium" She walked over to the nearest set of goal posts and ran her hands up and down the middle one "Wood?"

"Enchanted with cushioning charms, and extra charms to break and crack if they are hit hard enough" Angela nodded "They added those about ten years ago when someone hit them and snapped their broom, fell down to the ground and broke both their legs"

"Ouch" Sophithea winced, before turning to look around the ground again "Each House gets their own place on the stands?" 

"There have been..... incidents" Sally admitted "Especially during the later games" She blinked "Why do you want us to teach your friends?" 

"Some of them don't know as much English as I do, but want to try to make friends" Sophithea said simply "They came here to compete in The Tournament, but they also came here to make friends" She lowered her voice "They have heard rumours that Grindelwald's disciple is coming back, and that he is going to return to his campaign here" Angela and Sally exchanged looks, then lead Sophithea over to the side of the stadium.

"What do you know about Voldemort's return?" Angela asked quietly.

"Just rumours" Sophithea said "But our Headmaster was one of his servants before he was defeated, and there are a few of my fellow students who would follow him if he returned"

"Any of them here?"

"One or two" Sophithea nodded "But there are more back at school who didn't come with us, and now there is no one to watch them" She paused "Please understand, while most of the continent want nothing to do with blood purity wars, there are still one or two die-hards who are holding out hope of the second coming" She shook her head in disgust "Morons"

"Tell me about it" Sally chuckled "But to answer your question, yes - we can teach this spell to any of your friends who want it"

"Luna has already made the same offer to Gabrielle and Fleur" Angela added "In the interests of harmony and friendship and a huge reduction in the general butchering of all three languages" Sophithea laughed "But enough of all this" She turned and walked over to the broom shed, and pulled it open "Lets do some flying!"

xoxox

A few days later, Harry and Hermione saw Ron walking into the ante-chamber.

"He can't be....." Harry started "Surely he can't be that deluded"

"You really believe there is a limit to Ronald's ability to delude himself?" Hermione replied, then turned "Want to go watch?" 

"Thought you'd never ask" Harry smirked, then they snuck over to the door and peered in, just in time to see Ron walk up to the glowing circle on the ground.

"What....." Harry whispered.

"Age line. Drawn by Bartemius Crouch" Hermione rolled her eyes "No one under the age of seventeen can cross it"

"So you can only drop your name into it if you are old enough?" Harry asked.

"In theory" Hermione nodded "But we learned to levitate things in our first year, and I learned to throw things when I was five" She fell silent and they watched as Ron walked round the circle, staring at it. After he had finished a complete circuit, he pulled a piece of parchment out of his robes and screwed it up into a ball. Taking a step back, he pulled out a catapult from his pocket and placed the screwed up ball in it.

"Interesting" Hermione admitted "I didn't think he even knew what one of those was"

"It was one of Dudley's favourite toys" Harry said with a sigh. Ron pulled the cup back, then let it fly across the intervening space. All three students watched, breath held, as it arced over the age line, and then fell smartly into the centre of The Goblet. 

"YES!" Ron cried out triumphantly. 

"Wow" Harry exclaimed.

"I'll be blowed" Hermione exhaled "I really didn't......" She trailed off as The Goblet started smoking red. A second later, flames shot out of the cup and a ball of paper came flying out, following the reverse trajectory it had a moment before, bouncing of Ron's head before landing on the floor. 

"What....." Ron opened his mouth, then trailed off when he realised he sounded like a baby "What's going on?" He looked around "Why am I talking like this?"

"My guess, little brother, is...."

".....that the age line comes with......"

".....an extra bit of spice" Fred and George walked in, with big grins on their faces.

"But thank you for letting us see what would happen to us if we were considering entering" George continued "I would hate to be stuck talking like a baby for the rest of the day"

"The rest of the day?" Ron said, still in a baby voice, making Fred and George burst in to laughter again "Stop laughing and help me!" 

"Do you think we should?" Fred looked at his twin. 

"This is very funny, brother of mine" George said "But think of what the Slytherins would make of him" He drew his wand "Finite incantatum!" 

"Tha..... thank you" Ron sighed in relief, then looked back at The Goblet "That thing is evil! They should warn you about the side effects!" The twins exchanged another look, then shook their heads in unison.

"Headmaster Snape did warn you, little brother!" Fred said "And when Severus Snape gives you a warning, you really should listen" He looked at George "There's a sentence I never thought'd say" He looked at Ron "Ronald, my dear boy, I would suggest never mentioning this to anyone"

"Because at the moment it is only us who knows"

"And we are going to tease you anyway" Fred smirked, then he and George turned and walked out of the chamber, stopping when they passed Harry and Hermione.

"What will it take for you to keep this quiet?" George asked quietly. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, then Hermione turned back to the Weasley brothers.

"You and Fred owe us and our friends a favour" She paused "Not one favour each, just one favour for the six of us" She bit her lip "And if you are planning any school wide pranks, you leave us out of them"

"Deal" Fred nodded "Unless it would be too much work to do it?" Hermione looked at Harry, who gave a nod.

"Deal" Hermione smiled "But you know we're going to tell the others, right?" 

"We kind of guessed" George grinned, then he glanced into the chamber "You should go before he comes out, otherwise the deals off"

"See you later" Hermione gave them a little wave, then she and Harry walked off towards The Entrance Hall. 

xoxox

"I can't think of a favour we'd need, but it's always nice to have" Luna said later that evening "And good thinking on the prank thing" 

"I realise we can probably avoid pranks fairly easily, but if we look like we need help it would seem less suspicious" Hermione grinned. 

"But I think the most important thing is, what exactly happened to Ron?" Angela asked. Hermione laughed.

"Sit back, relax, and enjoy" She said, then waved her hand, transforming the wall of the meeting room into a large cinema screen.


	7. Luna's Plan

Harry faded into view in Dreadnought's keep, then looked up as Nirnaeth flew over the castle. As the dragon passed over the outer walls, Harry caught sight of the Luna sat on her back, and smiled.

Putting his fingers between his lips, he let out a piercing whistle, then started sprinting towards the castle doors. 

He passed through them a few seconds later, then, with a silent half prayer, he jumped off the side of the cloud. 

Before he had fallen five feet, Hugsalot flew underneath him, and he landed in the saddle. Taking up the reigns, he patted Hugsie's back and then turned him so they were on a path to catch up with Luna and Nirnaeth. 

"Evening, sweetie" Luna said as Harry pulled along side them "That was quite an impressive jump"

"I would say a leap of faith, but the worst thing that could happen is I smash into The Underland and wake up" Harry shrugged "It might give me nightmares for a few weeks, but since tomorrow is the anniversary of my parents being brutally murdered by a lunatic and the start of my imprisonment by an evil bastard, the idea of having nightmares about every bone in my body being broken has some level of appeal" Luna glanced over at him, while Nirnaeth let out a sympathetic whine "And that is the least of my worries about tomorrow"

"Something you want to talk about, love?" Luna raised an eyebrow. Harry looked across at her, then took a deep breath. 

"Has anyone ever told you this not talking about the future thing is kind of annoying sometimes?" He said with a dry laugh.

"Nearly everyone I know, but that doesn't answer the question" She smiled back at him "You know I can wait forever"

"I know" Harry gave a soft laugh "Okay" He took another deep breath "You told us that tomorrow night you are going to be entered into The Tournament. Crouch told us it is a magically binding contract that you can't break, and even if he is a first class bastard I assume he is telling the truth" He paused "Is this how you plan to lose your gift? By entering The Tournament then refusing to take part?"

"Is that what you think?" Luna looked at him, a bemused expression on her face "That this is all a prolonged plan for me to get rid of this curse?" 

"I know that you think of it as a curse, when the rest of us believe it is a gift" Harry pointed out "And I know that if you lose your magic, then you probably lose your ability to see the future along with it" 

"And if I lose my ability to see the future, then Dumbledore - or anyone else - would have no reason to come after me" Luna smiled "But you really think that's what I want?"

"I know it's appealing to you" Harry reached out and took her hand "You can't deny that" Luna squeezed his hand, and gave a soft smile.

"I will admit the idea has occurred to me, but if I lose this cur..... if I lose my gift now, then Voldemort will return, and The Ministry will - as unbelievable as it sounds - turn to Dumbledore for help, or at least that's what I currently see" She shook her head "I promise you, my sweet, by this time tomorrow, I will still be able to tell you what you are going to have for breakfast the day after"

"Sausages, beans, eggs and toast" He replied at once "It's what I always have" She laughed.

"Point taken, but you know what I mean" She let go of his hand and they flew along in silence for a few minutes "Do you trust me?"

"Without question" He replied at once.

"So if I were to ask you to trust me on this - to trust me that nothing will go wrong tomorrow night, that I am going to be entered in to this thrice damned Tournament but that it will not cost me my magic or my gift, and it will provide us with quite a lot of entertainment - you would say yes?"

"Without question" He replied again. Luna smiled.

"Okay" She paused "So - here's what's going to happen"

"Seriously?" He asked in surprise "Why?"

"You'll think it's silly" She said, blushing slightly.

"Probably" He smirked.

"Sometimes I get the feeling that, because I am keeping a lot of this to myself, some of you don't trust me" She said quietly - so quietly he almost didn't hear her "It's just good to know I am wrong"

"Sweetie - we trust you, all of us trust you" Harry reached out and took her hand, forcing Nirnaeth to come to a hovering halt "Don't ever think that we don't" He paused "I know that Dumbledore abused the phrase The Greater Good, but I also know that when you use it - if you use it - you actually, genuinely mean it" Luna smiled back at him, then took a deep breath. 

"Okay - so here's what's going to happen" She said. 

xoxox

"Good morning Harry" Hermione looked up from her book as Harry bounded down the stairs, then quirked an eyebrow at the smile on his face "You look surprisingly happy, given what today is"

"The day that the vile and venal villain Voldemort was veritably vanquished?" Harry asked "Does that not sound like a day on which I should be full of joy and wonder at the glory of this beautiful morning?" He looked out of the window and realised it was pissing with rain "It's still a glorious and wonderful day"

"Now you are just creeping me out" Hermione stared at him blankly "You have to stop it, or I am going to get my parents to summon a vicar" Harry laughed.

"You think I am possessed?" He chuckled again "Well, I can see that" He bounded over and pulled her into a hug, before picking her up and swinging her round "Hermione - I promise you, I am not possessed, I am not crazy, I am not someone else in disguise" He lowered her back down to the floor and kissed her on the cheek "Just trust me" She gazed back into his eyes, then smiled.

"Yes, Mr Black" She said, then kissed him on the cheek "Now, we should be getting to breakfast before your girlfriend and my boyfriend start to worry that something is going on"

"You really think Luna is going to worry?" Harry gave her an amused grin.

"Just let me be a normal girl for one day!" Hermione threw her hands up, then picked up her book and stalked towards the portrait hole.

"Sorry" Harry bounced along behind her. 

xoxox

"Do you know why he's behaving so strangely?" Hermione asked Luna as he and Harry sat down at the Ravenclaw table "I mean - he's happy? Bouncy and happy! It's not natural"

"You don't want your best friend to be happy?" Luna asked in response. Hermione narrowed her eyes. 

"You know why. Let me guess - this is one of those things, right?" Hermione sighed "Well then, I guess I will just have to accept it"

"Accept what?" Neville asked, sitting down next to her.

"That our Lord and Lady are up to something, and yet are refusing to tell me what it is!" Hermione pouted at the two friends in question, but it merely made them both smirk "It's very aggravating"

"Guys, why are you making Hermione pout?" Neville looked at them.

"I don't suppose you'd accept that muggles have a tradition of trick and treating on Halloween?" Luna suggested "And we are just playing one glorious prank on the entire school by being happy?" Neville tilted his head to one side.

"I think you are playing a prank" He said after a moment "But being happy isn't it"

"Your insight serves you well, young padawan" Harry said in a sage voice "But please, trust us, and don't ask too many questions" He looked between Neville and Hermione "I promise that before midnight, it will all make sense" 

"Okay" Neville nodded "But if it we are not completely happy, you know we will have our revenge"

"And you know I can kill you with my mind" Hermione said in a deadpan voice, making Harry and Luna laugh "Why does no one take me seriously when I say that?" 

"Because we know you too well" Angela said, sitting down next to her, while Sally sat down on the other side of the table "A happy Halloween to one and to all, even to you, Mr Black"

"And a happy Halloween to you, Mistress Perks" Harry doffed an imaginary cap "How is Miss Queen this morning?" Sally blinked at the rapid change in subject.

"I think she's fine. We haven't seen her this morning, so she could have decided to pack it all in and go home" She replied "But since she put her name in The Goblet two weeks ago, that does seem unlikely" She bit her lip "Anything you can tell us?"

"Sorry" Luna shook her head "No sneak peaks. You'll find out the name of the three Champions at the same time as everyone else" Sally smiled.

"That's what I thought" She picked up a plate of sausages "So - is everyone looking forward to an exciting day of classes?"

xoxox

"Well class, since you have been working hard, and tonight is a special evening, I will let you go early" Flitwick looked out at his fourth year students "I hope you all enjoy the feast tonight. It will be followed immediately by The Choosing, which I understand Headmaster Snape has invited Minister Fudge, Director Bones and The Daily Prophet to watch"

"Oh dear" Harry said under his breath, although he realised Hermione had clearly heard him "And he was so getting used to the position" 

"I shouldn't bother asking, right?" She said softly.

"It will all become clear" He replied, then patted her hand. 

"You know I am going to punish you for all this"

"I have met you, yes" He grinned at her, making her smile "So - shall we go?"

xoxox

Two hours later, Luna lead her friends into The Great Hall and to the end of the Hufflepuff table. They sat on either side, although Angela looked at her in surprise when she suggested they leave three spaces between the six seats they occupied.

"Friends are coming in a moment" Luna said simply. 

"Oh. Okay" Angela shrugged, then sat down opposite Sally. A moment later, Sophithea came in, and - with a single smile at Luna - Angela waved her over. Sophithea walked over and sat down next to her.

"Good evening" She said with a smile. 

"Evening" Angela replied "Looking forward to tonight?"

"Part of me is" Sophithea admitted "But another part of me is slightly terrified"

"Of being picked or not being picked?" Sally asked curiously. 

"Oh - I am not going to be picked" Sophithea shook her head "The night after I put my name in, Viktor put his name in as well and what am I compared to a World Cup Seeker?" She sighed "I don't know why any of us bothered coming when he is here" She dropped her head on the table. 

"Well, maybe The Goblet will surprise you" Luna said, reaching out and patting Sophithea's head "The Headmaster did say it was looking to test every aspect of a Champion's personality and abilities, not just their physical prowess" Sophithea looked up.

"You think so?" She asked.

"Well - I don't claim to be able to see the future" Luna replied, then glared at her friends when they all snorted in amusement at the same time "But three years ago I was being held in an illegal prison by someone considered to be a paragon of virtue and goodness, and now I am the daughter of two of the most famous men in magical society" She shrugged "Which goes to show you never can tell"

"Well said, my shining moon" Fleur walked up to the table, accompanied by her sister. Gabrielle looked around, then walked round the table and sat down on the other side while Fleur sat down next to Luna "Good evening everybody. Good evening Miss Queen"

"Miss Delacour" Sophithea nodded "Good luck later on"

"And to you" She smiled "I think competing against you would be a fun way to spend the year"

"Quite" Sophithea replied, then looked over to where Viktor was 'holding court' with some of the seventh year Slytherins "Certainly more fun than the alternative" She looked at the Hogwarts' students "Who do you think will be your Champion?"

"I really don't know" Hermione replied "I know that Cedric, Lucinda, Robin, Angelina, Christopher, Barry, Oliver and Kara have all submitted their names" She paused "My money would be on Christopher, Robin or Kara" 

"Angelina" Neville said.

"Ditto" Angela added.

"Cedric" Sally smiled.

"Barry or Cedric" Harry nodded. 

"Lucinda" Luna said.

"Really?" Neville asked.

"I would bet my house on it" Luna said with a smirk. Neville narrowed his eyes, then shrugged.

"I think I'll stick with Angelina" He said, then looked at Hermione "Not that I am sticking with Angelina, of course"

"Of course" Hermione smirked. 

"Good evening" Severus' voice cut across the noise of The Hall "Welcome to The Tri-Wizard Choosing feast. As you can see, we are joined tonight by The Minister of Magic, The Director of Magical Law Enforcement and a reporter and photographer from The Daily Prophet. So while it obviously goes without saying, I hope you will all be on your best behaviour" He paused then smiled.

"So enjoy your meal, and in around an hour or so, we will proceed with The Choosing" He raised his hands "Let the feast BEGIN!"

xoxox

Sirius and Owen walked into the front room at Grimmauld Place to find Xeno staring into the fire. 

"Knut for your thoughts?" Sirius asked. Xeno looked round, then smiled.

"I know that my daughter is worried about us changing the future" He said, then gave a dry laugh "And that she is worried about me charging into Hogwarts and pulling her out of there at wandpoint before The Goblet throws her name out" He shook his head "But there are times when this policy of hers to not tell us the future can be incredibly..... annoying"

"You know you are preaching to the choir" Owen said "I know that, intellectually, she has never put my daughter's life in danger - in that Hermione was never really at risk of losing her life, but I also know that she has seen Hermione being in danger and not warned us"

"Owen....." Xeno started, but Hermione's father raised his hand.

"I know, I know" Owen shook his head "I am just thinking what you are thinking - it would be nice to know what our children are thinking sometimes" He smiled "Can I join you in staring into the fire for a little while?"

"By all means" Xeno waved at the seats, and both Sirius and Owen sat down. 

"So, The Choosing is about now, right?" Sirius asked.

"Pretty much" Owen nodded.

xoxox

"Minister Fudge, Director Bones, Students of Hogwarts, Students of Durmstrang, Students of Beauxbatons" Severus stood at the front of The Great Hall, then raised his hands "The moment you have all been waiting for is now here" He turned to stare at The Goblet "For the last six weeks, you have been submitting your names and tonight you will learn which three will represent your schools in The Tri-Wizard Tournament" He paused as he, and everyone in The Hall, watched as The Goblet started to spit flames out of its cup. 

"And it is just occurring to me that I have no actual idea how long this will take, so apologies to everyone if this takes a little longer th......." Severus trailed off as the flames erupted in a burst of red and a piece of parchment flew upwards, then slowly floated down. 

"The first Champion is from...." Severus paused as he unfolded the parchment ".....Beauxbatons and is MISS FLEUR DELACOUR!!" 

The end of the Hufflepuff table burst into applause - soon followed by the rest of The Hall - as Fleur stood up, walked around the table and hugged her sister, then walked up The Hall. She gave a polite bow to her Headmistress, then walked over and shook Severus' hand before walking to stand in the place that was clearly reserved for the Champions.

As the applause died down, Severus looked back at The Goblet as the flames started to dance and flicker again, then they flashed red and another piece of parchment shot out before slowly floating downwards. Severus snagged it out of the air. 

"The second Champion is from....." He paused ".....Hogwarts and is MISTER CEDRIC DIGGORY!!!" 

The Hall exploded again as Cedric bounded to his feet and walked up The Hall, giving a bow to Severus before shaking his hand and walking over to stand next to Fleur, who he also greeted with a polite nod.

Severus looked round for a third time, then reached up as a third piece of paper was ejected from The Goblet. 

"The third and final Champion is from......" He looked down at the parchment "....Durmstrang and is MISTER VIKTOR KRUM!" 

"YES!! YOU WILL ALL BOW BEFORE ME!!" Viktor rose to his feet, hold his arms out "KRUM!" He stalked up The Hall, arms out wide, looking around as The Hall applauded.

"Is it just me, or is he a bit of a tool?" Harry asked in a low voice. 

"No, it's not just you" Sophithea said with a smirk. Harry blushed.

"Sorry you didn't get chosen" He said, then they watched as Viktor strode boldly across to stand next to Fleur and Cedric, paying no attention to either of them. 

"And there you have it" Severus said "The Three Champions for the......" He trailed off as a wave of murmurs started rippling around The Hall, and he realised everyone wasn't looking at him, but looking past him. Turning, he saw the flames in The Goblet starting to dance again. 

"Here we go" Luna said, straightening her back. 

A few moments later, another piece of parchment flew out of The Goblet, sending shouts of surprise through The Hall. Severus stared at it in utter disbelief, watching as it fluttered down to the ground. Only when it hit the floor did he bend down and pick it up. 

"LUNA LOVEGOOD?" He called out, then span round to stare at the end of the Hufflepuff table "LUNA LOVEGOOD?"

"I'll be back shortly" Luna said, kissing Harry on the cheek, then she stood up "Here" She walked up The Hall, bowed politely to the two Headteachers before shaking Severus' hand then walked over and stood next to Fleur. 

"What....." Fleur started, then her eyes went wide as The Goblet started to glow red again. Luna resisted the urge to laugh as another piece of paper shot out of it. 

"HARRY BLACK?" Severus called out. Harry looked up at Luna, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. He stood up, and started walking to the front of The Great Hall, but before he had got half way, another piece of paper shot out of The Goblet, this time greeted by a few snickers.

"ANGELA LONGBOTTOM?" Neville looked at his sister, and she shrugged, then stood up, but before she could take a step, another piece of paper shot out, generating more laughter. Severus glanced over at Fudge and Amelia, then bent down and picked the parchment up. He read the name, then arched his eyebrows.

"Santa Claus?" He said, and The Hall burst into laughter again. A second later another piece of paper shot out of The Goblet. This one was caught by Fleur who, along with Luna, Cedric and Harry, had walked towards The Goblet.

"The Easter Bunny?" Fleur announced, creating another burst of laughter. Another one was ejected, and Luna caught it. 

"Buffy Summers?" She said with a smile to even more laughter. Another one came flew out into Cedric's hand.

"James Moriarty?" He called out with a laugh that was almost lost in the now continuous laughter. The next one flew into Severus' hand.

"Who is Dorina Durston?" He looked over at The Goblet to see a twelfth slip of parchment come out of the fire "Oh for the love of Merlin" He reached out and snagged it out of the air "The War Doctor??" He saw Harry and Luna smirk in amusement, then he closed his eyes as another piece of parchment was shot out of The Goblet.

"Sir?" He opened his eyes at the sound of Luna's voice, then looked over to see that The Goblet had finally - mercifully - gone out. The final piece of parchment landed on the floor, and he waved his hand to indicate Luna should pick it up. She walked over and reached down. Unfolding it, she glanced down at it, then furrowed her brow. 

"Miss Lovegood?" Severus asked. Luna walked over and handed him the paper.

"I didn't think I should be the one to call out this name, sir" She said quietly. He looked down at it, then gave a brief nod.

"I understand" He looked at the rest of The Hall and took a deep breath "The final Tri-Wizard Champion is..... Gellart Grindelwald" The atmosphere in The Hall collapsed almost at once at the mention of Grindelwald's name. He took a deep breath, then looked over at Bartemius Crouch. 

"Mr Crouch, what are the rules regarding under-age entrants?" He asked.

"If your name comes out of The Goblet, then you are bound by magic to compete" Crouch replied "There is nothing that can be done" He looked at Harry, Luna and Angela "I am sorry, but you will have to compete"

"And Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? James Moriarty?" Luna asked.

"Are you going to find Gellert Grindelwald and make him compete?" Cedric added, stepping forward, next to Luna. 

"Well - no" Crouch admitted.

"And what about Buffy Summers? Would she risk losing her magic? If she is magic?" Angela asked "Are you going to find her and make her compete?" 

"Mr Crouch" Amelia walked forward, then looked at Crouch "Would you agree that this is probably not a circumstance that the usual rules were written for?"

"Yes, Director" Crouch nodded. 

"And are there rules to deal with this circumstance?" Amelia asked "Because while Mister Potter...."

"Mister Black" Harry interjected, then blushed "Sorry, Director"

"My apologies" Amelia tilted her head "Because while Mister Black, Miss Lovegood and Miss Longbottom can obviously compete, even if it is unwise, I do not believe that you will be able to compel Gellert Grindelwald, Buffy Summers, Dorina Durston or James Moriarty to compete" 

"James Moriarty is a fictional character" Cedric said "So if you do compel him to compete that would be quite impressive" 

"And The War Doctor is a time-traveller, so you might have trouble tracking him down" Harry said with a smirk.

"And while I can't begin to speculate on whether or not Santa Claus and The Easter Bunny are real" Amelia finished "So is there a way we can declare the entire Tournament null and void? Call it a draw? Then relight The Goblet and chose again?" Crouch looked at her thoughtfully. 

"Yes" He said "If the three Headteachers agree that The Tournament is a draw, it will be declared as such. No one will lose their magic, and we can relight The Goblet, put Miss Delacour, Mister Diggory and Mr Krum's names back in, and ask The Goblet to re-choose..... Miss Lovegood?"

"May I make a suggestion, Director?" Luna said, looking over at Amelia "I know I didn't submit my name, and I think I can speak for Angela and Harry when I say they didn't submit theirs. And unless the wards around Hogwarts are not as good as advertised, I suspect Grindelwald hasn't been here recently either"

"You think someone tampered with The Goblet?" Amelia asked in surprise. 

"It just spat out thirteen names for a competition involving three people" Luna nodded "That, to me, suggests tampering" She paused "Perhaps you should have your department examine it?"

"It might be wise" Amelia said "Very well - I will bring in a team of specialists" She looked at the three Headteachers "If we meet here tomorrow to choose the Champions?" Maxime, Karkaroff and Severus all nodded "Very well. Severus - my team will be here first thing in the morning, and will keep The Goblet under guard all day. Just to avoid any.... problems"

"Yes, Director" Severus replied, then he looked over at the Champions "I suppose you should all go and sit down, and we will try this again tomorrow" The students all walked back to their seats, three looking slightly glum while the other three were all trying not to laugh. 

xoxox

Two hours later, Luna finished replaying the memory in the feasting hall at Barad'dur, and grinned as the entire room burst into laughter. 

"Luna, sweetheart, you have excelled yourself" Xeno said, wiping his eyes "That was a work of genius"

"Thank you" Luna bobbed a curtsy "I though if I did something so public and so massive, then it would serve two purposes" She paused "Well three purposes" She held up three fingers.

"The first would be to give everyone a bit of entertainment" She lowered one finger "The second would be to ensure none of us was forced into competing because of the stupid rules" She lowered a second finger "And the final one was to show Dumbledore just what he was up against"

"Why do you think you might have been forced? Surely they wouldn't make a child....." Jessica started, but trailed off at the looks of surprise she was getting "Really?"

"Magically binding contracts can be enforced on anyone of any age" Augusta said "It is one of their greatest weaknesses" 

"And although Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would have been up in arms, Crouch would have insisted The Tournament go ahead even if it was Harry, Angela, Cedric and Me representing Hogwarts" Luna sighed "The only way to make him bow to the inevitable was to ensure that we included a whole bunch of other people who were never going to be able to compete" She paused, then smirked "And making a laughing stock of his Tournament at the same time was also a bonus" Another round of laughter followed. 

"So who were the other names?" Faith asked after a few moments. 

"James Moriarty is a fictional super-villain from The Works of Sherlock Holmes" Jessica said "One of the worst of the worst" 

"Dorinda Durston is from a film called Always" Owen said "And a film called A Guy Named Joe"

"I've never heard of the others" Harry admitted, then looked around the room. Everyone else shrugged, and he looked back at Luna.

"I am guessing you all know about Santa and The Bunny?" She asked, and everyone nodded "Well - The War Doctor comes from a show called Doctor Who that will return in ten years time, but the character won't appear for eight years after that" She paused "Spoiler alert?" She shrugged "And Buffy Summers is currently a.... thirteen year old girl, living in Southern California who in around two years time is going to get the shock of her life when she learns she is The Slayer"

"The what?" Frank asked.

"The Slayer?" Xeno stared at his daughter "You know the name of the next Vampire Slayer?" Luna nodded.

"Lucy Hannover will die in around eighteen months, fighting against...... something" She paused, then shook her head "I am not quite sure what just yet, but it is something big" She sighs "Anyway - Lucy Hannover is killed, and Merrick - from The Watchers Council - is sent to California to find Buffy Summers and tell her the bad news" 

"Bad news?" Jessica looked at her questioningly "You make it sound like an honour"

"The Vampire Slayer lives a life of torment, misery, pain, torture and suffering, usually capped off by a very premature death" Xeno said "While it's more of a calling than an honour" He looked back at his daughter "Can we prevent it?"

"No" Luna shook her head "I can't see much, but whoever this Buffy is, she is a...... a fixed point" Luna paused "If we prevent her from becoming The Slayer, then you will look back on the idea of Voldemort running the world as 'the good times'" She shivered "Which is also why we had to get The Tournament called as a draw"

"She's magic?" Sally asked in surprise. 

"Not in the way we are, but she has an inherent magic she got from Sineya" Xeno explained "And if that was stripped out of her, I would imagine she wouldn't be a Potential any more" Luna closed her eyes, then opened them almost at once.

"Yeah - don't ever make me picture THAT again" She said quietly "I've faced dementors, I've seen Voldemort rise and trust me - seeing a world without the future Slayer...." She shook her head again "No" She took a deep breath "So - did we go through everyone?"

"I think so, yes" Hermione said, then she looked at Harry "You knew?"

"I did" Harry admitted "But only because I made her tell me" He looked over at Luna "I thought there was a chance she was going to use The Tournament to lose her gift" Hermione blinked in surprise, then her eyes widened slightly. 

"Because it's a magical contract, and if she was entered and refused to compete, she would be stripped of her magic, which would strip her of her gift" She said after a moment "I admit, that would probably work" 

"He was sure that was my plan, and the only way I could convince him otherwise was to tell him the truth" Luna walked over and sat down on Harry's knee before kissing him on the cheek "Which is why he was so peppy this morning" 

"I admit I was wrong" Harry said, kissing Luna back "So - what happens next?"

"Assuming Crouch keeps his word, and The Director completes the scan on The Goblet, then tomorrow night we start everything over" Luna replied "The Tournament has been declared a draw, which you can tell by the fact we all have our magic, and the other three Champions have put their names back in, so they have every chance of being drawn again"

"No previews?" Angela asked hopefully.

"The next three Champions will be Who, What and I Don't Know" Luna said "Which - trust me - will make the ceremony tomorrow night very funny indeed" Everyone laughed, then Luna looked over at Sirius "Oh - by the way, you are going to be arrested tomorrow morning, but don't worry about it" 

"Pardon me?" Sirius stared at her. 

"Trust me - it's going to be great"

xoxox

"Good morning Director" Severus smiled as Amelia, Tonks and four other Aurors walked into The Great Hall "Did you complete your scans?" 

"We did" Amelia replied as the four Aurors took positions around The Hall, while Tonks remained next to her "I am happy to announce that The Goblet has now been cleaned, and is safe for tonight's ceremony" She paused "However I am afraid to say that it was under a very powerful dark curse" She took a deep breath "And we know who cast the curse, and who set up Miss Lovegood to be entered into The Tournament" 

"You do?" Severus asked in surprise "What about the others?" 

"We believe that that was an unexpected side effect of the magic" Tonks said from behind Amelia. 

"Ah" Severus nodded "So who was it?"

"That is the other reason we are here" Amelia drew her wand, as did Tonks and the other Aurors, then all five looked down the staff table "Sirius Black, you are under arrest for collaboration with Lord Voldemort, for attempted murder and for conspiracy to commit murder"

"What? No! It wasn't me!" Sirius stood up, but before he could say anything else, Tonks stunned him and he collapsed onto the table. 

"Director!" Harry jumped to his feet "How can you think Sirius would do anything wrong?"

"He has been suspected of being a Death Eater, Mr Black" Amelia replied "And now we have the proof that we apparently cleared him prematurely" She nodded to Tonks, who cast a levitation spell, lifting Sirius over the table and down onto the floor "However, in deference to your views, perhaps you would like to ensure him some representation?" 

"Severus and Remus" Harry said almost at once, then blushed "Professor Lupin and Headmaster Snape" 

"If neither man has any objections?" Amelia said "And Professor Moody - as you are the acknowledged expert in dark curses and dark arts in general, perhaps you would care to accompany us as well?" All three men nodded their agreement, while Tonks bound Sirius' hand and feet. 

"As we will be down four Professors, their classes are cancelled for the morning" Severus announced "I expect at least three of us to be back at lunch time, and, if Professor Black is not coming back to us, I will find a replacement Transfiguration teacher as soon as possible, with classes being taught by Professor Lupin the meantime" He paused "Enjoy your breakfast" With a final glance at Harry, he followed Amelia and Tonks, who were levitating Sirius between them, out of The Great Hall. 

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, the group arrived in The Ministry and Amelia lead them down towards the cells. 

"Alastor, can you just go ahead and tell them we are on our way?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, boss" Alastor nodded. He walked off a few steps, then Amelia drew her wand and revived Sirius while Tonks leaned over and whispered in Remus' ear. A moment later, she leaned over and whispered in Severus' ear. They both stared at her, then nodded. 

"If you are both ready?" Amelia asked "I know he is your friend, and don't want to see him thrown in a cell, but if he is conspiring with Voldemort....."

"If Black betrayed us, I want to see him punished" Remus said darkly.

"I haven't liked him since he teased and tortured me at school" Severus added. Sirius looked at them, then turned to Amelia.

"I didn't know it, Director. I don't know what you found, or what you think, but it wasn't me" He said "And you'll find that out eventually" 

"Walk" Amelia pointed her wand at him. Sirius nodded, then turned and walked towards the cells. 

Five minutes later they stopped in front of a cell. 

"Shall I?" Alastor asked, and Amelia nodded. He pulled the door open, then walked in front of it.

"NOW!" Tonks yelled.

"DEPULSO!"  
"BOMBARDIA!"  
"DEPULSO!"  
"BOMBARDIA!"  
"FERMAPORTUS!"  
"COLLOPORTUS!"

Sirius stared in total bemusement as four spells threw Alastor into the cell, then a further two slammed the door shot and sealed it with magic. 

"What the f...." He started, then trailed off as an inhuman roar came from inside the cell. All five of them rushed forward and stared through the small window into the metal room and saw the familiar figure of Alastor Moody transform into the completely unexpected figure of a tall, gaunt looking wizard. 

"Bartemius Crouch Junior?" Amelia and Severus said in unison.

"Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Remus asked. 

"Apparently rumours of his death....." Sirius started again, then stopped when another inhuman roar ripped through the air.

"YOU THINK YOU'VE BEATEN ME? YOU THINK YOU HAVE STOPPED MY MASTER'S PLAN?" Crouch Junior bellowed "YOU THINK YOUR PUNY MINDS CAN EVEN BEGIN TO CONTEMPLATE WHAT HIS PLAN IS?" He threw back his head and laughed "MY MASTER IS RETURNING! MY MASTER IS RETURNING AND YOUR WORLD WILL BURN! BURN!!! YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SCREAMING AND HE WILL BE THERE TO WATCH!!!" 

"Tonks, be a dear and get me some veritaserum" Amelia said. 

"MY MASTER SAW THIS ALL!" Crouch Junior continued "YOU WILL NOT EVEN SEE IT COMING" He stared at Sirius "Your boy will die, Black. Die cursing the day he was born" He stared at them all "BURN!" He clicked his fingers, and then they all flinched as his body burst into flames. 

"Open the door...." Amelia said, but before any of them could move, the flames burned out and all that was left was a pile of ash. 

xoxox

".....and so first I would like to offer a public apology to Sirius Black. He was never a suspect, he was not in collusion with Voldemort and there is no mark on his record" Amelia addressed the students at lunch time "It was merely a trick to ensure we could get our true suspect out of the school and to The Ministry without endangering any of your lives" She looked over at Sirius "I hope you can forgive me, Professor Black"

"Of course Director" Sirius nodded.

"And secondly, I would like to confirm that The Goblet is free from any curses, spells, charms or hexes and that the ceremony for the second choosing can go ahead as planned" Amelia finished, then looked at Severus "Thank you"

"You are most welcome, Director" Severus looked at the students "Until a suitable Dark Arts Professor can be found, Professor Lupin will be filling in for the time being. And that being said, enjoy your lunch, and the rest of the afternoon and I will see you all this evening"

xoxox

"Good evening, and welcome to our second attempt at choosing the Champions for The Tri-Wizard Tournament" Severus announced to The Great Hall. He glanced over to where Fudge, Amelia and Crouch were sat "Following the...... interesting events of last night, Director Bones and her team have done a complete scan of The Goblet and found a number of dark curses on it. While the investigation of how those curses got there is still on-going, they have assured me that it is now free and clear and completely capable of doing what it is required to do" He took a step forward.

"Madame Maxime, Professor Karkaroff and I decided that we would start afresh, allowing last night to be completely ignored in terms of the Champions chosen" He turned to face The Goblet "So - here we go" The Goblet started to burn, then flames started to dance. A second later a piece of parchment was ejected. 

"The first Champion is......" He said, reaching out as the parchment fell towards his hand. When it landed he unfolded it and looked it "..... MISTER CEDRIC DIGGORY FROM HGOWARTS!!!" The Hall burst into cheers and applause as Cedric stood up and walked up to shake Severus' hand, before turning to give a polite bow to Maxime and Karkaroff and walking over to stand where he had the night before. 

"The second Champion is....." He paused as the second parchment floated down "..... FLEUR DELACOUR FROM BEAUXBATONS!!!" Another burst of applause accompanied her walk up The Hall, her handshake, bows and walk over to stand next to Cedric. 

"And the third Champion is....." Severus stared at the third piece of parchment as it floated down into his hand. He unfolded it, then raised his eyebrows at the name. He looked up at the students, then stared down at the parchment again "The third Champion is MISS SOPHITHEA QUEEN OF DURMSTRANG!!" 

"WHAT???" Viktor jumped to his feet "WHAT IS THIS CRAP? KRUM IS DURMSTRANG CHAMPION!!"

"I am afraid not, Viktor" Sophithea slowly got to her feet "The Goblet has spoken, and it looks like it has chosen me for this honour" She looked down at Angela and Sally and smiled "I'll be back in a moment"

"YOU! YOU ARE NOT EVEN REAL WOMAN! YOU ARE PATHETIC!! YOU ARE..."

"SILENCIO!" Three separate spells shot across the room and struck Viktor, silencing him. 

"Who cast those spells?" Severus called out as Sophithea reached the front of The Hall. A moment later, Fred, Harry and George stood up "Detention, tomorrow night. I cannot have you casting spells at our guest, no matter what you might think of the provocation"

"Yes, Headmaster" All three boys replied in unison before sitting down. Severus turned his attention to Sophithea, shaking her hand. She gave a polite nod to the other two Headteachers, then walked over to join Fleur and Cedric.

Severus looked round at The Goblet, then let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw that it had gone out, sparking a few laughs from around The Hall. 

"And, with that, our ceremony is over. The prefects will show you back to your rooms. If the three Champions will remain for a moment, the details of The First Task will be given to you, as well as some more information about the events of the next few weeks. Thank you all, and enjoy the rest of your evening"

xoxox

An hour later, Severus walked into the Hufflepuff common room and looked around, then walked over to where Harry and Hermione were sat by the fire. 

"Mister Black, Miss Granger. I am sorry for disturbing your evening, but I wanted to give you the details of your detention tomorrow night" He said calmly "Mister Black's detention that is"

"Yes, sir" Harry nodded "If you would like me to apologise to Headmaster Karkaroff, I will"

"And to Mister Krum?" Severus asked curiously.

"I will if you tell me to" Harry replied "But he was behaving like a spoiled child, and spoiling the evening for the rest of us" He shook his head "I understand I embarrassed the school, and I will apologise for that, but not to the brat" Severus stared at him for a moment, then looked at Hermione.

"Miss Granger? Do you concur with your friend's evaluation of the situation?"

"I think that he, Fred and George acted with restraint in not cursing Krum earlier and with a more interesting curse" Hermione replied "And while I understand that you want to get this dealt with, and get on to The Tournament, I think making him apologise to Krum might be a little over the top" Severus gazed at her thoughtfully, then looked back at Harry.

"Very well, Mr Black. Your detention will be served with Professor Black, and the exact details will be up to him. Tomorrow morning, at breakfast, you and the Weasley twins will apologise to Professor Karkaroff in The Great Hall. You will do it first in English, then in Bulgarian"

"Yes, sir" Harry nodded "And, again, I am sorry. But Sophithea has become sort of a friend, and Krum was stomping all over her moment and...."

"I understand the value of friendship, Mr Black" Severus smiled, then turned.

"Sir?" Hermione said, and Severus turned back "I notice that you didn't reverse the spell on Mr Krum when you gave my brother and the Weasleys detention" Severus smiled.

"You noticed that, did you?" He said, then turned and walked over to the portrait hole, before stepping through it and leaving the common room.

xoxox

Luna watched as her boyfriend, Fred and George walked up to the staff table, noting out of the corner of her eye as a large, white owl swept down and landed in front of Cedric Diggory, dropping an envelope on the table before taking off again.

"Professor Karkaroff" Harry said "On behalf of my two friends, we apologise for the uncalled for attack on your student. All three of us are very sorry for our outburst, and we regret it" Fred and George nodded in agreement. Karkaroff stared down at them, then smiled.

"I accept your apology, Mister Black, Mister Weasley, Mister Weasley" He said "And while I do not approve of students attacking other students......" His gaze drifted from the three students in front of him to Viktor, who was sat at the end of the Slytherin table ".....I can understand how you might have felt provoked in this case" He looked back at Harry, Fred and George "Please, go and sit down"

"Thank you, Headmaster" Fred said, then they turned and walked back to their tables. 

"So that went well" Hermione said "Do you know what Sirius is going to have you doing yet?" 

"Nope" Harry shook his head "But somehow I think it will be fun" Hermione grinned, then looked up as Angela, Sally and Sophithea walked in from The Entrance Hall "Good morning, Madame Champion" Sophithea blushed. 

"I still can't believe The Goblet chose me" She said, glancing across to the Slytherin table "After the first time, I thought I was done"

"Maybe it was his behaviour after being picked the first time" Hermione suggested "And after last night maybe The Goblet thought he was too....... smug? Too arrogant to be a good Champion?"

"Perhaps" Sophithea sat down, with Angela and Sally on either side "But whatever the reason, I will do my best" She paused, then looked up the table "And you know I will do my best for Durmstrang, even if we become good friends"

"We know" Angela said "But we can still cheer for you, as long as we cheer for Cedric as well"

"And me?" Fleur asked from behind them.

"Of course" Luna said, walking up beside her "I think all of us will be cheering for all three of you" She paused "This is going to be a very confusing year"


	8. Dumbledore's Plan

Severus stared across his desk at Alastor Moody, then slowly shook his head.

"I am very sorry, Alastor, but I am afraid I am going to have to dismiss you" He said in a firm voice "And although I would like to say it is nothing personal, I am certain that you would not believe that" 

"You've got that right, Snape" Moody snorted "I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you"

"And I think you are joined at the hip with Dumbledore, and sometimes a danger to yourself and to everyone around you" Severus paused, then smiled "I am sorry about what that Death Eater bastard did to you, and Hogwarts will pay any medical expenses you have, but this will be your last day on the grounds"

"I might take you up on that offer, Snape" Moody narrowed his eyes "You aren't going to ask me to swear an oath not to join up with Albus?"

"What you do in your free time is up to you, Alastor" Severus shook his head "If you want to join up with a sociopathic criminal with delusions of grandeur then that is entirely a matter for you. However I should point out that once you leave, the wards will be adjusted to refuse you entry and you will no longer be able to return to the school" Moody stared at him, then gave him a wry smile.

"You are learning, Severus" He gave a single nod "I will collect my stuff and be gone by lunch time"

"And you won't take it a miss if I ask the portraits and house-elves to keep an eye on you while you are on the grounds?" Severus asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"You would think so, but no" Severus shook his head "Now, if you will forgive me, I have things to do" He paused "Not the least of which is finding a permanent replacement Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor" 

xoxox

Dumbledore stared at Amos Diggory, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"This all happened in the past three days?" Dumbledore said after a few minutes of stunned silence.

"Yes, Albus" 

"The Goblet of Fire spat out thirteen names, including Harry, Angela Longbottom and some fictional characters?"

"Yes, Albus"

"Which lead to The DMLE investigating The Goblet, and arresting Alastor Moody?"

"Yes, Albus"

"At which point it became apparent that Alastor Moody was actually Bartemius Crouch Junior, back from the dead and impersonating my long time friend and associate?" 

"Yes, Albus" Dumbledore fell silent again, looking thoughtful. 

"Did they question him?" He asked "Find out why he would make The Goblet behave in such a strange way?"

"From what I understand, no" Amos shook his head "It seems that Moody..... Crouch Junior ranted a little bit about his master killing us all then he burst into flames"

"He burst into flames?" Dumbledore arched his eyebrows.

"He burst into flames and was a pile of ash less than a minute later" Amos nodded "Amelia didn't get a chance to question him" He paused, then looked at Dumbledore questioningly "You don't think it was him, do you?"

"I think that Alastor, that Crouch made The Goblet spit out the Lovegood girl's name" Dumbledore said "Entering her into The Tournament would be a good way to try to kill her......" He paused, a light of understanding coming into his eyes "Or to force her into a trap of Voldemort's making if he wasn't Alastor Moody" He stood up and started pacing back and forth "If The Tournament was a trap, then Voldemort would want Harry or Luna, but if Crouch got the idea that Luna was more of a threat than Harry then putting Luna in the trap would be a better idea"

"But what about the other nine names?" Amos asked. Dumbledore closed his eyes. 

"Lovegood" He said in an angry voice. Amos' eyes widened.

"She got The Goblet to spit out nine extra names?" He stared at Dumbledore "She manipulated a magical object into doing her will?" 

"It is the only explanation I can think of that makes sense" Dumbledore nodded, opening his eyes "She would not be powerful enough to break the magical contract that would have been created when her name came out of The Goblet, but if she could manipulate The Goblet into spitting out another nine names, then The Tournament would have become a laughing stock"

"Which would have forced them to declare it a draw" Amos nodded in understanding "Otherwise they would have had thirteen Champions"

"Including at least two fictional characters" Dumbledore shook his head disbelievingly. 

"And Gellert Grindelwald" Amos added.

"It would also ensure that The Goblet would have been investigated, because after it produced thirteen names - in front of Fudge and Bones no less - it would be almost inevitable that an investigation would follow" Dumbledore walked back to his seat and sat down "Which would also ensure that Miss Lovegood would not be entered into The Tournament during the next choosing" He leaned back in the chair "However powerful I thought Miss Lovegood was, it is becoming very clear that I have severely misjudged her"

"Does this alter the rest of our plan?" Dumbledore took a deep breath, then leaned forward.

"I think we might need to reconsider how we are going to approach her. Clearly our first attempt to take her by surprise was not successful, and I believe if we are going to catch her off guard, we will need to find a different way to do it" He paused "Let me give this more thought, Amos, and I will get back to you"

"Of course" Amos nodded.

"Thank you for bringing this to me" Dumbledore said as they both stood and walked towards the front door of the cottage "I am very appreciative of your help on this matter"

"Whatever you need, Albus" Amos replied, then - with a final nod - he walked out of the cottage. Dumbledore watched him walk down the lane, then turned round to find McGonagall looking at him with a concerned expression.

"You heard?"

"Yes, Albus"

"Then I think it is time we started making new plans" He said "Come with me"

xoxox

That night, Sirius walked into the front room at Grimmauld Place and came to a halt, looking round in surprise at the other adults gathered there.

"We're meeting here? Not in Cair Paravel?" He asked.

"We wanted to talk without the children" Alice replied, then glanced at her husband "I realise we are new to this..... this group of rebels, but sometimes we think that we give them too much say in what goes on"

"Is this a general feeling?" Sirius looked around at Xeno, Augusta, Owen, Jessica, Damian and Faith.

"I know that Luna has this gift" Damian said "But she has made it clear that she is not going to use it to tell us what to do, and that she isn't going to lead us to a brand new day"

"And we are supposed to be the adults" Faith added "We are supposed to be the responsible ones - we are supposed to look out for them, not the other way round" 

"That makes sense" Sirius admitted "But how much do we really know about what goes on in their lives? I mean - I have a better idea because I spend most of my time at school, but I have to be honest, up until the events of The Choosing I didn't realise that Angela and Sally were such good friends with Sophithea Queen"

"The Durmstrang Champion?" Augusta asked "They are friends with her?"

"Yeah" Sirius nodded "And Luna and Harry have made friends with....."

"Fleur and Gabrielle" Xeno said "But we have been friends with The Delacour family for around ten years or so, so that was probably less of a surprise"

"And this friendship with the Durmstrang girl?" Frank looked at Sirius "We shouldn't be worried?"

"Well, when Miss Queen was chosen, Viktor Krum went on a rant about her not being a proper woman, so it might be that" Sirius said "Or it could be that we - the collective we - have two friendly, loving daughters who reached out and made friends with a stranger because they didn't want her to be a stranger in a strange land" He shrugged "Do you trust our daughters?"

"Yes" Frank and Damian replied in unison.

"Do you believe they are good judges of character?"

"Yes" 

"Then trust to that" Sirius smiled "I am pretty sure that Sophithea is not going to lead them astray or murder them in their beds"

"Always good" Xeno said "But there is something else that's worrying me" He took a deep breath "Moody, Crouch Junior - whatever his name was - clearly tried to enter my daughter into The Tournament for a reason. The fact that Luna outsmarted him is neither here nor there......"

"Although it was very funny" Jessica interjected.

"....he clearly had a plan" Xeno continued "Which means that the entire Tri-Wizard Tournament could be nothing more than an elaborate trap to further the return of Voldemort" He looked around "So my primary concern is now whether the Tournament is still going to be used as a trap for The Champions, or if Voldemort is going to use some other method to return" 

"And what Dumbledore had to do with this" Owen said suddenly, making everyone look at him.

"Huh?" Alice asked "Why Dumbledore?"

"Because......." Owen started, then looked at Xeno "Okay - however I phrase this it is going to sound rude, but don't take it personally, okay?"

"Okay" Xeno nodded.

"Even with the stories about Xeno coming out of prison, and Luna coming back from the dead, she is - relatively speaking - a nobody in the magical world. She is one of hundreds of magical children attending Hogwarts and, based on her school record, she isn't that much of a stand out student"

"Why would you think that would sound rude?" Xeno said with a laugh "But you're right - random newspaper stories aside, there is very little reason for the most feared Dark Lord in a century to pay any attention to her"

"On the other hand Dumbledore got you arrested on trumped up charges and then kept your daughter prisoner in a black prison because he wanted her power to work for him" Owen paused "And he witnessed the Dementor attack at the end of last term - what if he is starting to wonder if Luna's power is more than he might of thought it might have been?" 

"So you think Voldemort arranged for Crouch to take Moody's place, and to put Harry's name into The Goblet, but then Dumbledore met with Moody - the fake Moody - and somehow convinced him that Luna was a greater threat?" Sirius frowned.

"Imagine you are a Dark Lord who wants to rule the world, and you learn about a woman who has the potential to be an even more powerful threat than you could be" Owen nodded "Wouldn't you do anything to make sure she never became a threat?"

"You think my daughter is a threat?" Xeno smirked.

"Only if you are a Dark Lord who wants to rule the world" Owen grinned "But, to sum up, I am pretty sure that it was Dumbledore who wanted your daughter in the Tournament, and because of that Voldemort may now know about her as well"

"Well...... bugger" Xeno sighed "So along with the fact that The Tri-Wizard Tournament might be a trap that will culminate in the return of Voldemort, we might also be facing the fact he now knows about Luna's gift?" 

"Yeah" Owen looked at him "Sorry"

"On the upside, in a fight between the most powerful and the most feared Dark Lord in the last century, and my daughter I would put my money on my daughter every single time" Xeno grinned "And that is before you add her friends and us into the equation" The other adults laughed.

"Still - if there is a chance that The Tournament is going to put the three Champions at risk, do you think we should tell someone?" Faith asked "Director Bones? Severus? Maybe the other two Headteachers?"

"What do we tell them?" Frank replied "I mean - we only know this because of what happened to Luna and I don't think we want that to become public knowledge, right?"

"I'd prefer it not to" Xeno admitted.

"On the other hand, manipulating The Goblet was a pretty public act" Alice pointed out "So we could at least start from there" She looked round the room "How about this - Amelia was our friend, back before Frank and I went on our little enforced holiday. And she knows about Luna"

"So what if Alice and I go and talk to her?" Frank continued "Just to tell her what we think, and why we think it" He paused "We'll make it clear it's not official, and that we don't really have any proof - just that we think Cedric, Fleur and Sophithea need watching and maybe protecting" He looked around "Anyone object?" When no one replied, he looked at Xeno "No objections?"

"As long as she keeps her promise, no objection from me" Xeno smiled.

"Okay" Alice grinned "We'll go tomorrow" She looked back at Sirius "Do you want to let the kids know? And maybe ask them to talk to the three Champions?"

"Alice, my sweet, given what we know about the redoubtable Miss Lovegood, do you really think that they don't already know?" 

xoxox

Luna walked into The Great Hall the following afternoon, then stood at the end of the Hufflepuff table where Angela, Fleur, Sophithea and Neville were sat, all doing homework.

"I realise you are all busy, but I was wondering if you could come for a walk with me?" She said, resting her hands on the table. 

"Something up, sweetie?" Angela asked. Luna looked around The Hall, then back at the four students.

"Please?" She looked at Neville "I'll beg if I have to" Neville smiled.

"All four of us?"

"All four of you" Luna nodded. Neville looked at the other three.

"I know you are all busy, but I think this will be worth it. Luna isn't normally the type to beg - she is really not all that humble" He smirked as Luna whacked him on the arm "The homework will be here when we get back"

"Okay" Fleur said, and stood up. A moment later, Sophithea closed her books and she and Angela stood up as well. 

"So - where are we going?" Angela asked as they followed Luna out of The Great Hall.

"I thought the stone circle might be a fun place for this" Luna replied "It's mostly deserted at this time of day, and it will provide a suitable backdrop to what I have to tell you" She bit her lip, then fell silent as they walked out of the main doors and across the bridge. 

A few minutes later, they arrived in the stone circle, and Luna came to a halt and turned to face the her friends.

"Okay - so, Angela and Neville kind of know some of this, but not all of it" She said "And some of what I'm going to tell you will seem unbelievable, but I promise all of what I say here today will be nothing but the truth" She paused "Harry and Hermione are currently talking to Cedric and Lucinda, and telling them what I am going to tell you"

xoxox

"Which is what?" Cedric asked.

"You saw what happened with The Goblet of Fire" Hermione said "That it threw out a dozen or so names, only three of whom actually entered?"

"Yes" Lucinda Doyle nodded "I thought that The DMLE found who was responsible?"

"They did" Harry said "Bartemius Crouch's son posing as Alastor Moody. But our parents have friends in The Ministry, and even though they didn't get to interview him, they think that Crouch Junior was working for Voldemort"

"You Know Who is dead" Cedric replied "You killed him when you were a baby"

xoxox

"Sadly it turns out that isn't true" Luna looked at Sophithea "Harry vanquished him, and we have lived in peace ever since, but all the signs are lining up and everything says that he will return at some point in the future" She paused "And we think that The Tournament is going to be used as a part of that plot" Fleur and Sophithea exchanged glances.

"How?" Fleur asked.

"That's the part we are not entirely sure of" Luna admitted "But the fact that Barty Crouch Junior tried to force me to enter The Goblet - a magically binding contract no less - means he had some kind of agenda"

xoxox

"That's what you are basing this on?" Cedric quirked an eyebrow at Harry "An insane Death Eater who spent eight years in Azkaban before escaping decided to target the girlfriend of the boy who killed his master and you think he did it for a reason other than trying to get revenge for the fact you killed his master?" Cedric shook his head "Harry - I am trying to be understanding, and trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you really aren't making a lot of sense"

"Voldemort is alive, Cedric" Hermione said flatly "He is alive and he is coming back" 

"My father said he is dead" Cedric replied "The Ministry, The Wizengamot, Dumbledore......" 

"DUMBLEDORE?" Harry shouted, then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes "The man fled arrest then broke out another prisoner? The man who left three students to fend off an army of Dementors? That's the man you are putting your trust in?" 

"Who should we believe? Someone who spends their time spinning random theories?" Cedric asked. He looked over at his girlfriend "Do you want to sit here and listen to the rest of this?" 

"No - I think we're done" Lucinda stood up, then Cedric followed suit and they both walked toward the portrait hole. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.

"Maybe Luna is having better luck?" Hermione suggested.

xoxox

"Are you saying we are in danger?" Sophithea asked.

"I don't know" Luna admitted "Which - I know - is not the best answer, or the answer you want, but I am just trying to be honest" She paused "All we know is that Crouch Junior entered my name, and he probably did it for a reason. And that - back in the day - he was one of Voldemort's most loyal"

"So if The Tournament is part of a plot to bring You..... to bring Voldemort back, then the three tasks could be a trap?" Fleur paused, then shook her head "Three traps?"

"Yes" Angela nodded "One of the theories we have is that Voldemort wanted, over the course of the year, to torture and eventually kill Luna so that Harry would suffer her loss" She glanced at Luna "Or force Luna to drop out and forfeit her magic, making her a lot easier to kill or a lot harder to defend"

"And since we've made friends with you, it's possible it might apply to you as well" Neville said "Although you both have the benefit of being grown ups, rather than a thirteen year old girl with less than three years magical schooling, so torturing and killing you might be harder than it looks"

"Count on it" Sophithea smiled grimly.

"Ditto" Fleur grinned.

"But however good you both are, remember that Voldemort was born and raised during Grindelwald's war, and is a full fleged Dark Lord" Luna looked at them seriously "Look - we could be wrong, and this warning could be for nothing. But just in case we are not deranged lunatics who are spinning out random conspiracy theories, please, please, please be careful and be wary" 

"We promise" Fleur mimed crossing her heart.

"We will try to avoid being kidnapped and murdered by a Dark Lord" Sophithea added.

"Thank you" Luna let out a sigh of relief "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel" She closed her eyes, letting a smile spread across her face "Our parents are talking to Director Bones, but only in an unofficial capacity, and if we learn anything else, we will try to let you know" 

"What about the tasks?" Fleur asked with a smirk.

"Sadly we took a blood oath never to reveal the details of those, on our lives and the lives of all the students in Hogwarts" Angela said with a smile. 

"Really?" Sophithea stared at her in bemusement. 

"No. Not really" Angela shook her head "But even though Professor Black might know, and our other parents might learn, they would never tell us" She paused "And I am sorry, but even if they told us, we would consider it a betrayal of them if we did" She looked at Sophithea levelly "You know I consider you a friend, and I hope you can understand this but I understand if you can't"

"I understand" Sophithea leaned over and kissed her cheek "And I don't think either of us would really expect you to give them up" She glanced at Fleur, and the French girl shook her head "See!"

"Okay" Angela smiled, then looked at Luna "So - is that everything?"

"I think so, yes" Luna nodded "Shall we go and see how our Hufflepuff's did with their Housemate?" 

"I don't think we'll need to" Neville pointed over Luna's shoulder, and she turned to see Harry and Hermione striding over the bridge towards them, both with looks of thunder on their faces.

"Oh yeah - that looks like it went really well" Angela smiled, then fell silent as Harry and Hermione walked into the circle "We were just taking bets on whether Mr Diggory was in a receptive mood. Most of us think no"

"Then tell them what they've won, Miss Granger" Harry said drily.

"We tried to tell Cedric what was going on, and he would rather believe his father, The Ministry, The Wizengamot and our former Headmaster" Hermione spat "Suffice to say, he doesn't believe Voldemort is alive and coming back"

"He doesn't WANT to believe Voldemort is alive and coming back" Harry shook his head "His father has poisoned his mind, and I don't think we are ever going to get through to him without wiping his memory and starting over" He paused "Which is probably not something we should do, and probably not something we should discuss in front of two foreign students"

"You can trust us" Fleur giggled "I mean, as long as you don't actually wipe his mind"

"Although that would give us a huge advantage in The Tournament" Sophithea said thoughtfully, then laughed when everyone except Angela looked at her worriedly "I keep forgetting my sense of humour is an acquired taste"

"Well you did your best" Luna said, then blushed when Sophithea laughed "I mean Harry and Hermione did their best, not you - sorry"

"No worries" Sophithea waved her hands dismissively.

"And if Mr Diggory would rather go in believing a bunch of deluded old fools than listen to the truth, there's not a lot we can do" Luna shrugged, then glanced at her watch "Except possibly go and get ready for tea" She looked around "Unless anyone has questions or the like?" She paused, then smiled "Okay then - lets go"

xoxox

The next few weeks passed in a blur of activity, although most of it was hidden from the general population. Amelia met with Frank and Alice, and promised to investigate what they had told her, but pointed out that she was just one person and that there was a limit to what she could do. 

She also said that Fudge had started an investigation as to how Bartemius Crouch Junior who, as far as anyone knew, had died in Azkaban nearly a decade before, had ended up as a pile of ash in a DMLE cell on the night of Halloween. She had assigned half a dozen Aurors to it, but progress was turning out to be slow because their one witness was - unfortunately - a pile of ash in a DMLE cell, and because he was a member of The Wizengamot, Junior's father was very hard to pin down. 

Similar discussions were happening at Hogwarts, although Fleur and Sophithea were spending more time looking into what The First Task might be, albeit separately. 

Despite the entire group being friends, Angela, Sally and Sophithea spent a lot of time in the library, going through the history of The Tournament and what previous things had come up on the various tasks, while Fleur and her sister spent time with Harry and Luna with books borrowed from The Black Library. 

"Do you think this is weird?" Hermione asked Neville one night when they were fighting their way through an underground tunnel full of fire crabs.

"That fire crabs live underground?" Neville looked around "Maybe a little bit - you'd think they'd burn up all the oxygen, and the flames would go out after a while" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"The fact we have two new friends who are possibly going to end up fighting each other" She said, then she fired three arrows down the tunnel into the oncoming horde.

"Not really" Neville shook his head "I think they are grownups, which - for all the stuff we have endured and dealt with - we are not, and that they'll be able to separate the friendship from The Tournament" He drew his sword as the horde of fire crabs started getting closer "I think they'll be fine"

"Do you think they'll ask us to pick sides?" Hermione spoke so quietly that Neville almost missed it - a fact amplified by the fact the fire crabs chose that moment to attack on mass. 

"Probably not, sweetie" Neville replied with a smile as he started chopping, cleaving and slicing "I mean - I know they are going to do the best they can, but I don't think they are going to hate each other at the end of it" He span around, slicing the legs off three crabs "And if they don't hate each other, I am pretty sure they won't hate us for not picking sides, especially if we support both of them"

"I suppose" Hermione abandoned her bow and arrow for a sword as well, and started slicing and dicing "Tell me again why we thought this was a fun way to spend an evening while the others are doing research?"

xoxox

"....and while The DMLE will have a moderate presence in Hogsmeade, I do not want you to think that you are in any danger this weekend" Severus looked around The Great Hall "So please, go out and enjoy yourselves" He paused "And if you would like to show our guests from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons around, I would not take it amiss" He smiled "So - fly. Be free!"

xoxox

"So this is Hogsmeade?" Gabrielle looked around as she walked down the main street of the magical town "It's nice" 

"Thank you" A voice came from the door of a nearby building "We are quite proud of it" Gabrielle, and the others, turned to see a man standing at the door to a pub called The Hogshead "And who might you be, young lady?"

"I am Gabrielle Delacour, daughter of Arvelle and Antoine Delacour and the little sister of Tri-Wizard Champion Fleur" She gave a polite bob "Very pleased to meet you, Mister...."

"Dumbledore...." He replied, then raised his hands as Harry, Luna, Hermione and Angela all reached for their wands "Aberforth Dumbledore, and I promise you, I haven't seen my brother in nearly fifty years" He watched as Harry, Hermione and Angela all glanced at Luna, and then - when she relaxed - all lowered their arms back down to their sides.

"Mr Dumbledore......" Luna started, but he held up his hands.

"Call me Abe - everyone does" Luna tilted her head to one side.

"Abe - you know who we are?" She asked. 

"Not specifically, but I know that most Hogwarts have a reason to dislike my big brother" He said calmly "And believe me, whatever reason you may have to dislike him, it is nothing compared to the reasons that I have" Luna gazed at him.

"Even if I tell you that my name is Luna Lovegood, and this is my friend Harry Potter?" Abe let his gaze wander between the two of them.

"Even then" Abe replied, then he glanced back at Gabrielle "Welcome to our town, Miss Delacour - I hope you have a nice weekend" He gave a polite nod, then turned and walked back into his bar. 

"Is it me, or was that more than a little strange?" Neville asked. 

"He's Dumbledore's brother" Hermione said "I suspect there are probably a lot of family demons"

"Do you want a drink?" Angela asked, looking at the bar. 

"Maybe The Three Broomsticks" Sally suggested "My Dad said that The Hogshead was more of an adult bar, and we really should avoid it - kind of a rough crowd sometimes"

"Okay" Angela shrugged "I just thought we could introduce our friends to the wonder of butterbeer"

"Butterbeer?" Sophithea asked, looking at Angela.

"Drink of the gods" Angela grinned, then slipped her arm into Sophithea's "Come this way....."

xoxox

Cedric stared down the main street, narrowing his eyes and watched as Angela and Sophithea walked off, followed by Gabrielle and Sally, then the rest of the group. 

"Look at them" He snorted as Lucinda walked up beside him "Sucking up to the new girls. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the ones who got them into The Tournament" Lucinda quirked an eyebrow at him, but stayed silent. 

"They should be supporting the Hogwarts Champion, not off hobnobbing with my opponents" He shook his head "Father was right" He looked at his girlfriend "You'll stick by me though, right?"

"Of course, sweetie" She kissed him "So - what do you want to do next?"

xoxox

Sally put her glass down on the table, then wiped her mouth.

"So, Miss Queen, what do you think?"

"Very nice" Sophithea replied, putting her glace down next to Sally's with a satisfied smile "Tastes something like a drink we have back home, but more sweeter" She closed her eyes "I think I could get used to it"

"Always nice to meet a happy customer" Madame Rosmerta walked over "The first Hogsmeade weekend is always fun - you have all grown up so much" She paused, then looked at Luna, Fleur, Gabrielle and Sophithea "Some of you more than I would have expected"

"Madame Rosmerta - this is Luna, my girlfriend, and Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour from Beauxbatons and Sophithea Queen from Durmstrang" Harry said, gesturing to each girl in turn "Fleur and Sophithea are the two....."

"Tri-Wizard Champions" Rosmerta nodded "It was in The Prophet this morning - an article on the upcoming task"

"Anything interesting?" Neville asked. Rosmerta glanced at the two foreign students.

"Forgive me, ladies, but The Prophet more or less stated that a good British Boy like Mister Diggory shouldn't have any trouble dealing with two girls - two foreign girls at that" 

"WHAT?" Everyone at the table exclaimed in unison. Rosmerta walked back to the bar, then returned with a copy of The Prophet.

"Please keep in mind that I didn't write this" She said, then unfolded the paper "'Following what can only be described as a farcical choosing, Cedric Diggory, son of Wizengamot Member Amos Diggory, has been drawn to compete in The Tri-Wizard Tournament against Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy and Sophithea Queen from Durmstrang Institute of Magic.

Miss Sophithea Queen was the second choice of The Goblet - selected after Viktor Krum (World Cup Seeker for Bulgaria) was picked during the abandoned first attempt at a choosing - and here at The Prophet we believe that The Tournament is going to be lessened for this decision. The idea that two girls, even ones that are supposedly as accomplished as Miss Delacour and Miss Queen, are capable of competing against Mister Diggory in such a competition as this is, we believe, laughable, and - were it possible - we would call for The Choosing to be run a third time to fully ensure the integrity of The Tournament and the process'" She lowered the paper and looked at the table "Personally, I am hoping that either one or both of you will kick his over privileged backside up and down the stadium" She paused "If there is a stadium involved" 

"We will do our best, Madame Rosmerta" Fleur said with a smile "Although it would be easier if we had any idea what we were going to be facing"

"But that's part of the fun!" Sophithea said with a grin "I mean - why risk life and limb when you know what you will be doing when you can do it going in blind?" She realised everyone was staring at her as if she was crazy "Yeah - that's the look my girlfriend gave me when I tried that line out on her" She sighed "No one understands my sense of humour"

xoxox

Later that afternoon, Fleur and Gabrielle were walking back down the main street when they were approached by a young woman in bright red robes.

"Good afternoon. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment?" She asked in a cheery voice. Fleur looked at her curiously.

"You are...... Rita Skeeter, non?" Fleur asked in halting English, making Gabrielle look at her curiously. 

"That's right!" Rita beamed her "I knew that the three Champions were out and about in Hogsmeade today, and I thought I might get an interview with you, if you don't mind"

"I am..... sorry?" Fleur paused, furrowing her brow "Is that the right word?" She looked at Gabrielle and they exchanged a series of rapid fire French before she turned back to the reporter "I am sorry, but I was told by ma 'Ead Mistress not to talk to ze Press wizout an adult present" She paused "Does that make sense?"

"Yes" Rita's smile fell, but a moment later she smiled again "I am sure we will have a lot of time to talk during The Tournament. Thank you for your time!" She turned and flounced off down the street" 

"Well done" Luna and Harry emerged from a side street, both smiling "But was that true?"

"It will be five minutes after we get back to school" Fleur nodded "And since I am the daughter of Arvelle Delacour, I believe that Madame Maxime will have no problems accepting that rule" She grinned at her sister "And that would go double for Gabrielle"

"Excellent" Harry clapped his hands together "So - what would you like to see next?"

xoxox

Rita stalked away from Sophithea, cursing and muttering under her breath. Cornelius Fudge had assured her that, because all three of the contestants would be of age she would have no problems getting interviews from them, and yet two of them were refusing to talk to her without their Head Teachers present, making it a lot harder to spin the stories the way she wanted to. 

Walking down the street, she looked around, hoping to see catch sight of the third Champion..... Diggory something was it? ..... when instead she saw someone else - someone who might just make this day worthwhile after all.

With the smile returning to her face, she turned and headed towards The Three Broomsticks, following her prey into the pub.

xoxox

"So - how did you enjoy your first day in Hogsmeade?" Angela asked as she, Sally and Sophithea walked back along the path towards the school. 

"It was nice" Sophithea said "A nice break from the castle, and it took my mind off whatever is coming next week" She paused "Not that I know what is coming next week, of course"

"Of course" Sally and Angela said in unison.

"But after all this is over, and presumably I haven't been eaten by a giant monster of some type, you have to talk to your parents about coming to visit me in Bulgaria, and visiting The Fire Caves of Rajob" She paused "Because seeing the caves light up at the dawn is seeing..... it's like seeing Shakespeare the way it's meant to be done" Sally and Angela smiled.

"Okay - big greasy monsters aside, you have a deal" They said. 

"But, Fire Caves notwithstanding, thank you both for today" Sophithea smiled "Today has been a most wonderful day"

xoxox

"Thank you, Mr Krum" Rita lowered her notepad to the table "I am sure my readers will be very glad to read this"


	9. Here There Be Monsters

"Miss Queen?" Gabrielle sidled up to the library table where Sophithea was sat reading. 

"Miss Delacour" Sophithea turned, and gave her a polite smile "All alone today?"

"For the moment" Gabrielle smiled back "The perils of being a younger sister - Fleur is in class, and I have no one to play with" She looked over Sophithea's shoulder "Cloaking spells?"

"The task is tomorrow, and I still have no idea what I am going to be facing" Sophithea shrugged "But the history of The Tournament tends to point to the first task being animal related" Gabrielle sat down in the seat next to her, then lowered her voice.

"Dragons" She said quietly. Sophithea blinked, then looked at the young girl curiously.

"Pardon me?"

"Dragons" Gabrielle repeated "The first task is going to put you up against a dragon" Sophithea stared at her in surprise, then bit her lip.

"Okay..... dragons" She nodded "It can't be that I am fighting one, because even a trained dragon handler can't possibly take down a dragon on their own, so the idea that a student could do it would be insane" She paused "Also I am pretty sure the cold blooded murder of dragons was outlawed by The......"

"The Delacour-Hufflepuff Compact of 927" Gabrielle smirked "I am very bad at history, but family history is not something we Delacours are ever lacking in knowledge of" Sophithea returned her grin.

"So if it isn't a fight to the death, then maybe we have to get something from it?" Sophithea tilted her head to one side "Has your sister figured it out?" 

"She has some ideas, but......" Gabrielle trailed off, making Sophithea laugh.

"She wants to keep it to herself?" She asked, and Gabrielle nodded "So should I continue to speculate, or wait until I'm alone?"

"I promise that I won't tell Fleur anything you come up with" Gabrielle mimed crossing her heart "So how would you avoid being detected by a dragon?" Sophithea looked down at the book she had been reading.

"Cloaking spells are probably out of the question" She gave a sigh "Dragons are far too good at detecting magic - any attempt to hide from them would be like setting myself on fire in front of them" She paused "What if I rely on my speed? Or if I could overload the dragon's senses in some way?"

"It might work" Gabrielle nodded, then looked at the clock on the far wall "And sorry to leave you half way through your plotting, but I promised Fleur I would meet her after class" She stood up "Good luck with working it out" She paused, then leaned over and whispered "Maybe our mutual friends might have some ideas?" Sophithea grinned.

"I was thinking the same thing" She replied "Wish your sister luck for me, and tell her I will see her tomorrow in the arena"

"Consider it done" Gabrielle gave a little wave, then bounded out of the library, leaving Sophithea staring at the book in front of her, mind racing with new ideas. 

xoxox

Later that evening, Sally and Angela were walking Sophithea back to her room on the second floor, when she suddenly stopped and gasped.

"EUREKA!" She exclaimed, bringing her hands to her mouth.

"Soph?" Angela looked at her "Something you want to tell us?"

"I know how I am going to hide from the dragon" Sophithea said, then she closed her eyes "Or at least I know how I am going to ensure the dragon won't see me" She paused "You won't tell Fleur?"

"Even if she tortures us" Sally smiled "Or seduces us" Sophithea laughed.

"Dragons can detect magic" She said "In fact, most of their abilities are related to detecting magic and so on. And on movement" She paused "I think it comes from the fact that when most living creatures see a dragon, they are so scared they run"

"Because dragons are so unbelievably scary" Angela nodded.

"So dragons evolved to have eyes that are based on movement" Sophithea continued "So if I can find a way to do what I need to do without looking like I am moving, then the dragon won't spot me"

"And you can do that?" Sally frowned "You can't make yourself invisible - that would be like wrapping yourself in fairy lights" Sophithea blinked.

"Fairies have lights?" She asked in confusion, making Sally laugh.

"Remind me to invite you to G......." She trailed off, then shook her head "Wow - that charm is good!" She paused "Remind me to invite you home for Christmas, unless you have other plans - of course" She looked at Angela "Where were we?"

"Sophithea was just going to tell us how she was going to move without moving" Angela said.

"Yes!" Sophithea clapped her hands together "About a year ago, I found a spell that dampens someone's magical signature to almost nothing. Unlike a disillusionment spell, this doesn't make you invisible, but it basically reduces your magical signature to nothing, and at the same time hides your scent as well" She paused "And earlier today, after Gabrielle left, I found a spell that allows me to create an Astral Projection of myself" 

"An Astral Projection?" Sally looked at her in surprise "Like a clone?"

"Yes" Sophithea nodded with a grin "And because it is a being of pure magic, it will be like a beacon of light - the dragon will go mental" She paused "I think it should be perfect"

"Sounds like a plan" Angela said "But can you do it without practising it first?" 

"I guess we will find out" Sophithea said "Because the damping spell takes a lot of effort, and if I do it now, I might be too tired to try again tomorrow" She looked around, then started walking, with Sally and Angela following her a moment later.

Five minutes later, they reached the rooms that had been set aside for Durmstrang and Sophithea turned to face them.

"I will see you tomorrow for breakfast?" She asked, and they both nodded.

"Sleep well - you want to be rested" Angela said.

"I'll see what I can do" Sophithea smiled, then gave them both a little wave before turning and walking down the corridor. Angela and Sally watched her until she vanished into her room, then turned and headed back down the main corridor, walking towards the main stairs.

xoxox

Two hours later, Angela faded into the keep at Dreadnought, then walked inside and made her way to the room that Harry had set up as the main meeting room where she found the other five waiting for her.

"So - did we decide how we are going to handle tomorrow?" She asked "Breakfast I mean?"

"We've narrowed it down to two plans" Harry waved her over to a seat "One of which none of us likes, and the other one we are just working out the final details"

"Okay" Angela nodded "So what's the first plan?"

"We sit with the Slytherins" Neville said "That way we don't seem to be favouring Cedric, Fleur or Sophithea" He paused "But you can see why none of us likes this plan"

"Because even the thought of sitting with those feckless bastards makes me want to throw up?" Angela suggested. 

"Amongst other reasons, yes" Neville smiled back "But don't worry, sister of mine, because we are pretty sure that since there are three Champions, we can divide and conquer, so to speak" He glanced at Harry, who held up three pieces of paper. 

"So - we figure we can do this one of two ways" He said "The name of one Champion is on each piece of paper" He put them on the table, face down "Either we pick one at random, or we agree it between us"

"Neville and I were going to sit at the Hufflepuff table" Hermione said "To show our support for a student who thinks we are all insane, deluded and mental" She paused "Although we are going to phrase it in a slightly different manner when we wish him luck"

"And I think we should sit with Sophithea" Sally said. Harry rolled his eyes, then swept up the three pieces of paper.

"Do they even have anything written on them?" Luna asked. Harry turned them over, and Luna burst out laughing when she read "Yes Luna" ,"They are", "Entirely blank".

"So we'll be sitting with the Ravenclaws?" Harry said. Luna nodded, and Harry smiled "Ravenclaws it is"

xoxox

The following morning Neville and Hermione walked into The Great Hall, hand in hand, and over to the Hufflepuff table. They walked up to where Cedric and his friends were sat, and stopped.

"I just wanted to say good luck" Hermione said, but before she could continue, Cedric turned to sneer at her.

"In the task you think is a trick laid by You Know Who?" He asked in a dismissive voice. Hermione stared at him for a few moments, then sighed.

"We just wanted to wish you luck, Mister Diggory" Neville said "But if you are going to throw it back in our faces, then we won't bother" He took Hermione's hand, and they walked over to where Harry and Luna were sitting down opposite Fleur and Gabrielle.

"So Cedric still has his head up his ass then?" Luna asked with a smile.

"I am amazed he could walk in here without walking into walls" Hermione said in disgust, then she smiled at Fleur "Good luck"

"Thank you, Miss Granger" Fleur tilted her head in acknowledgement "You gave the same wishes to Mister Diggory?"

"I tried, but - as Luna pointed out - there were some...... rectal self-examination issues to be dealt with" Gabrielle snorted in amusement at Hermione's description, then looked over to where Sophithea was talking animatedly with Angela, Sally and the Weasley twins. 

"If you will excuse me for a moment?" She stood up and walked over to the Gryffindor table "Miss Queen? I just wanted to wish you luck for today. From both me and my sister" She paused "And we both hope we can be friends twelve hours from now" Sophithea grinned.

"Miss Delacour, I cannot imagine anything that would change that" She looked over at the Ravenclaw table and smiled at Fleur, who gave her a polite nod back.

xoxox

"It's disgusting" Ginny stared down the table, then looked back at Ron "A Gryffindor sucking up to a Durmstrang student? Or is there something going on with her and her Ravenclaw girlfriend and that..... woman?" She shook her head, then looked over to where Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna were talking to Fleur "And that...... that's just wrong"

"Why?" Ron asked between mouthfuls of sausage "I mean, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have always been friendly like, and Granger and Longbottom are sort of together, aren't they?"

"She's just using him to better herself" Ginny said "A muggle-born, even one as bright as her, will never get any where in our world. But if she marries well, she'll be set for life" She paused "But I was referring to Luna" Her gaze moved to the blonde sat between Harry and Fleur "Ever since the truth about her father got out, she's barely left his side - I think she's just going to use him to make sure everyone forgets about her past"

"Her past?" Ron asked, lowering his fork. 

"Her batty father" Ginny said dismissively "The Quibbler was never more than a joke, even before her mother blew herself up. And even if The Ministry cleared her father, we all know there is no smoke without fire and whatever good she does, however much she protests his and her innocence people are always going to have their suspicions" She looked down, toying with the scrambled egg on her plate "But if she could change her last name to Potter, and if Harry can get defeat You Know Who, then her future would be set and who would dare speak against her?"

"And the fact that you want to change your name to Potter has nothing to do with this?" Lavender asked from two seats further down. Ginny turned to face her.

"I am just looking out for Harry's best interests, Lavender" She said tartly "Someone has to, and the people he has now are clearly not doing the best job" Lavender gazed at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"I think you're just a jealous little girl who can't grow up" She said, then turned back to talk to Parvati. Ginny glared at her for a moment, then looked back at her brother.

"I've been talking to Mum, and she says that Luna is dangerous" She said in a quiet voice "She wants us to help" She paused, then lowered her voice even more "She's working for Dumbledore, who is coming back to save us from You Know Who"

"Mum thinks she's dangerous?" He asked, and Ginny nodded "Okay then. What do we need to do?"

xoxox

Half an hour later, Harry and Luna walked down the path to the Quidditch stadium with Fleur and her sister, followed a few yards behind by Angela, Sally and Sophithea, with Neville and Hermione already in the stadium saving their friends some seats. 

When they reached the tent, both groups stopped.

"Good luck" Luna said, then impulsively, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Fleur's cheek "We'll see you after the task"

"I'll try to put on a good show" Fleur replied, then Luna took Gabrielle's hand and she, Harry and Gabrielle walked into the stadium, followed a moment later by Angela and Sally. 

xoxox

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls!" Fudge's magically amplified voice rang through the stadium "Welcome to the First Task of The Tri-Wizard Tournament!" He paused for the applause that filled the Quidditch pitch "Just a moment ago, the three Champions were told what the task would entail, so now I can announce the details" He paused for breath, then gestured to the corner of the stadium where part of the stands had been removed.

"A few moments ago, each Champion drew a token from a bag - a model of a dragon. This model represents a real dragon from which they will have to steal a golden egg. The Champions will be judged on the speed they do it, the ingenuity with which they pass the task and the style with which they complete it" Fudge then gestured to the three Head Teachers sat behind podiums in the staff box.

"The Head Teachers will judge the Champions performance, and - since I know there will be questions about potential bias and favouritism - I have been assured that when they are acting as Judges, they have to be unbiased or they will be punished by the magic of The Tournament" Fudge smiled "Of course, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to remain neutral, so you will forgive me if I hope for a good Hogwarts showing!" The Hogwarts students cheered while there was some good natured laughter from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. 

"The order of students was determined at random, so now let me hand you over to our official commentator for the event - and his commentary will be translated to French and Bulgarian for our guests - Mister Lee Jordan!" There was a burst of applause as Lee walked up to the microphone, then he took a deep breath.

"Our first Champion to enter the arena today will be the Champion from Beauxbatons...."

xoxox

"....MISS FLEUR DELACOUR!"

Fleur looked at Sophithea and smiled, then looked at Cedric and merely nodded, before turning and walking out of the tent. 

"And Miss Delacour will be facing........ a Welsh Green!" Sophithea listened to Lee's commentary "One of the smaller breeds, but still potentially dangerous. So now, as the cage is opened, Miss Delacour is has conjured a swam of sparrows, and sent them flying around the dragon's head..... they seem to be driving the dragon to distraction...... but what's....... oh dear! The dragon has vaporised them all with a single burst of flame and now it is staring down at Miss Delacour! She...... it....... the dragon has sent another burst of flame and now....... oh Merlin! Miss Delacour seems to be injured but now she has transformed......!"

"The rumours about Veela are true" Sophithea said to herself, walking over and sitting down on a sofa "I kind of pity the dragon" 

"Miss Delacour has become a giant bird, and is flinging fire back at the dragon, sending it scurrying backwards, almost defensively" Lee's voice continued "And while the dragon is cowering in the corner, she sweeps in and grabs the egg, flying out of reach of the dragon. She flies over to the far side, lands, transforms back to her human self and picks up the egg"

"Go Fleur" Sophithea smiled, while Cedric rolled his eyes. 

"The three judges are conferring while the handlers force the dragon back into its cage, but for me that was quite an impressive performance" Lee said "If this were a muggle sports arena, I am sure I could show you some highlights of Miss Delacour's performance, but instead you will just have to listen to me talk for a few more seconds, but now I think they are ready to render their judgement...... yes - ready to go" 

Sophithea leaned forward, looking intently at the tent flap. 

"Headmaster Karkaroff gives her..... six points" There were some cheers and some boos.

"Headmaster Snape gives her..... seven points" This time the cheers slightly outweighed the boos.

"And Headmistress Maxime gives her..... six points" The final set of boos and cheers were about equal again "This brings her total for the task to nineteen out of thirty points and makes it, obviously, the score to beat" There was a loud round of applause.

"Nineteen points" Cedric said "I think I can beat that" He looked over at Sophithea "How about you?"

"I am not going to count my basilisks until the cock crows" She replied with a smirk "After all, I have a Chinese Fireball to face and they are notoriously cranky at this time of the morning" Cedric looked at her as if she was crazy, which only made her burst out laughing. 

"And our second Champion is Miss SOPHITHEA QUEEN, FROM DURMSTRANG!"

xoxox

You walk out of the tent, and even over the roar of the crowd you can hear the slap of the tent flaps as they close behind you. You walk a little further into the stadium - a stadium that, only a few weeks ago, you were flying around. A stadium that is now full to the brim with people - friends, school mates and people you've never met. 

You gaze around the stadium for a moment, then your eyes come to rest on the cage. A cage that contains one of the more difficult species of dragon. 

Even as that thought comes to you, another thought comes to you - are there actually any easy species of dragon - and you laugh, snorting in amusement as you walk forward. 

You walk further into the arena then come to a halt on a giant white cross - a mark so obvious that it could not have any other purpose - and watch as the cover vanishes, and the cage vanishes and you are face to face with a giant red dragon. 

For a second, you just stare at it, because - despite the fact you have never been this terrified in your life, you have also never been this close to something this magnificent and beautiful before. Sure, your girlfriend back home is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, but the creature in front of you has a beauty, a wonder all of its own.

But almost at once you realise that - along with the beauty, the wonder, the grace that this creature exudes - it is also quite capable of killing you without a second thought and then moving on to everyone else in the stadium. So you draw your wand and point it at yourself.

"disparum entarshum" You whisper, and almost at once you feel your temperature change - as if the entire climate around you has changed. You take a few steps forward, then you point your wand to the far side of the arena.

"SPORD LASTRA!" You hiss, then a smile lights up your face as an identical copy of you appears, and starts jumping up and down. The dragon, which had been staring at the place you vanished, spins its head round so fast you are surprised it doesn't fall off, then turns and clumps towards the astral projection. 

You walk slowly towards the nest, staring at the golden egg, keeping half an eye on the dragon. But it doesn't even seem to realise you exist - biting and clawing at the projection, which continues to dance slightly out of range. 

You grab the egg, then turn and walk back towards the giant cross. With an evil smirk, you direct the projection to move forwards, and a second later you hear a wave of gasps echo around the arena as the dragon bites down on the phantom version of you. 

The dragon lets out a roar of triumph, but the roar soon turns to a pitiful whine of confusion when it realises there is nothing there. It bites down again, then for a third time, but then - as you reach the giant cross - you turn and raise the egg and a horn sounds. The handlers come back on, and start pushing the dragon back towards its cage while you vanish the projection.

"And in a stunning display of magical prowess, Miss Queen completes the task in a third of the time it took Miss Delacour, with no injuries and without even being noticed by the dragon" Lee's voice breaks into your consciousness and you realise he has actually been talking all the time, but you somehow managed to tune it out. You look up at the staff box, and see Headmasters Snape and Karkaroff and Headmistress Maxime staring back at you. Taking a deep breath, you put the egg down on the ground in front of you, then look back up at them.

xoxox

"So we are just waiting for the marks from the Judges" Lee's voice echoed around the stadium as Angela and Sally sat, hand in hand, watching Sophithea stood in front of the three Judges. 

"Headmaster Snape give her...... Eight" 

"Yes!" Angela exclaimed, grinning at her girlfriend. 

"And Headmistress Maxime gives....... Nine" The Durmstrang students started to cheer. 

"That puts her two points shy of Fleur!" Neville said with a smile "And only Karkaroff left to give out points"

"And Headmaster Karkaroff gives....... Four?" There was a moment of stunned silence before a ripple of boos and jeers ran around the stadium. Angela and Sally exchanged glances, before looking down at Sophithea, who was staring up at her Headmaster.

"I CHALLENGE!" Sophithea's voice was so loud it silenced the entire arena, leaving only the faint noise of roaring dragons in the distance. She let the silence continue for a moment before continuing "WHY ONLY FOUR, JUDGE KARKAROFF?" Her Headmaster rose to his feet, staring down at her.

"This task was supposed to test your bravery, your courage. And what did you do? You snuck around like a vole-rat, like a coward! You did not face the dragon? You tricked it! You are pathetic Champion, and I will not reward you for that!" Karkaroff spat "Take the four points and be happy - they are four more than you deserve!" He sat down again. Sophithea stared at him, then picked up her egg, turned and walked - head up and proud - out of a completely silent stadium. 

"Well..... following that, Miss Queen of Durmstrang has twenty one points, which puts her in first place" Lee said after a few moments "So now we have our third Champion, Mister Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts!" There was a round of applause and cheers again as Cedric strode out into the arena, looking around "And he will be facing the Norwegian Ridgeback!" 

xoxox

Sophithea walked into the medical tent to find Fleur lying on one of the beds. She rushed over and set her egg down on the seat next to the bed, then looked her friend up and down.

"Madame Pomfrey? Is she alright?" Sophithea asked as the matron walked over.

"She will be fine" Poppy Pomfrey replied "She just needs some rest, and to get some of her strength back" She looked the young French woman up and down "The burn was superficial"

"Oh good" Sophithea let out a sigh of relief, then looked down at Fleur, who was lying on her side "Fleur? Are you alright?" Fleur didn't answer her, and Sophithea looked back up at the healer "Madame Pomfrey?"

"I'll let her explain" Poppy smiled, then walked back down the tent. Sophithea looked back down at her friend, then sat down.

"Fleur? What's wrong?" She asked quietly. Taking the young woman's hand, she sat down "I don't know how much you heard of my performance, but Karkaroff screwed me over - I am in the lead, but by a very small amount. Apparently he thought you were far more brave and daring than I was, and that you are a proper woman and a proper student, while I am just a pathetic mess"

"He's a fool" Fleur turned over to face her "I listened to everything Lee said - about you creating a magical duplicate of some type, and creating a distraction. I wish I had thought of such a rouse, instead of shaming myself, my school and my family" She closed her eyes, shaking her head "How can I face them again?"

"What's wrong?" Sophithea asked again, rubbing her fingers over Fleur's knuckles.

"You didn't see what I became" Fleur said "When we transform, it is usually only in private, or in the most dire of circumstances when we have no other option. To do so in public - in front of so many witnesses - is a matter of great shame for both myself and for all Veela" Sophithea stared at her for a moment, then reached over and stroked her hair.

"Would you have preferred to die? To let your little sister watch you perish at the hands of the dragon?" She said quietly "You did what you must, Fleur, and I think you can be very proud of yourself" She leaned over and gave Fleur a soft kiss on her forehead "I am proud to be your friend, and your competitor" Fleur smiled back at her, eyes slightly wet.

"Thank you" She squeezed Sophithea's hand, then closed her eyes again "And as much as I'd like to keep talking, I really do need to rest now. Transforming takes a lot out of me"

"Then slee....." Sophithea started, but stopped as there was a commotion at entrance to the tent. She looked round to see Sirius and Remus carrying Cedric in on a stretcher, with a bandage on his right leg and another on his head "What the hell?"

"MADAME POMFREY!" Remus yelled loudly. Less than a second later, Poppy walked out from the back of the tent, already drawing her wand.

"Talk" She said, casting a number of diagnostic spells as Remus and Sirius carried him to an empty bed and Sirius levitated him on to it. 

"He conjured a number of terriers in an attempt to distract the dragon, but it didn't work quite as well as he wanted" Sirius explained "The dragon ate them all just as Cedric reached the egg, and before he could get away the dragon swiped him with its paw - giving him a cut on his head - then hit him with his tail, breaking his leg"

"Bloody hell" Fleur exclaimed. 

"Well put" Remus said calmly "Cedric managed to distract it with another pack of dogs, and crawl away, at which point the task was deemed over with and the handlers rushed into deal with the dragon while Sirius and I were sent into deal with him" He paused "We brought him straight here, since neither of us are all that good at fixing broken bones and cuts"

"I can heal the cut" Poppy said "But the break will entail regrowing the bone" She paused "Mister Diggory - I can either temporarily mend it now, which will ease the pain, but require a complete regrowing of the bone when I get you to the infirmary, or I can give you a pain numbing potion, and then start healing it in the infirmary"

"Potion" Cedric said, then bit his lip "Quickly if possible"

"Of course" Poppy vanished towards the back of the tent, while Cedric closed his eyes. Sophithea and Fleur exchanged glances.

"Well - I will let both of you rest" Sophithea said "And hopefully see you at dinner" She stood up "And hey - we got through the first task, so go us" Fleur gave a low chuckle, but Cedric merely glared at her.

"Don't you want to know my score?" He asked. Both girls looked at him. 

"They gave you your score? Before you were brought here?" Fleur asked in surprise.

"It took a little time for Professor Black and Professor Lupin to reach me - they had to wait for the dragon to be secured" Cedric said "Madame Maxime gave me five points, Snape gave me four points and Karkaroff gave me nine" 

"NINE?" Sophithea exclaimed "Eighteen points?" She paused, then tilted her head to one side "Congratulations, Mister Diggory" She looked at Fleur, who had closed her eyes again, then turned and walked out of the tent. 

A few moments later, she found Sirius and Remus catching up to her.

"Miss Queen, while I know we haven't spoken much, I feel I should warn you that there might be a protest coming about the way the first task was handled" Remus said quietly. 

"Just because my Headmaster decided that I was a coward, and that someone who had to be carried out of the arena deserved twice as many points as I did doesn't mean I am going to make a fuss, Professor Lupin" She replied, but then stopped when Sirius rested a hand on her shoulder.

"The protest isn't going to be from you, Miss Queen" He said softly "Cedric was a little out of it - what with the broken leg and the cut on his head - but he was mumbling about Harry and Luna using their friendship with us, and with Severus to get details about the task and telling you and Fleur what was going to happen"

"We didn't do that - they didn't do that" She replied at once "They made sure we knew that being friends with them wasn't going to get them access to the staff or to any information"

"We know" Remus said "And even if they had come to ask us about it, we would have sent them away" He paused "But I just thought I would warn you what might happen" He paused "For what it's worth, both of us were very impressed by your performances - both you and Miss Delacour were amazing" He glanced back at the tent "Far more so than Mister Diggory" Sophithea blushed.

"Thank you sir - sirs" She gave a polite bow "And I promise, both Fleur and I can deal with whatever Mister Diggory might choose to throw at us" She paused "Now, if you will excuse me, I think I really need a shower" She glanced back at the tent "For more reasons than the obvious"

xoxox

Fudge, Crouch and Ludo Bagman sat in Severus' office, facing the three Headteachers, along with Sirius, Remus, Filius and Pomona in the office as well.

"I received an official complaint from Mister Diggory at lunch time" Crouch said "He came to me because I am the organiser of The Tournament, and I am duty bound to investigate" He paused "Mister Diggory has accused three of the Hogwarts staff of leaking details of The First Task to Miss Delacour and Miss Queen, which is why they did so well"

"Let me guess" Severus said drily "He is accusing Sirius, Remus and myself?"

"Yes" Crouch nodded "He believes given your obvious friendship with Harry Potter, and Mister Potter's friendship with Miss Queen and Miss Delacour, that you would want them to do well" He paused "Miss Queen was obviously well prepared, and Miss Delacour obviously had some fore knowledge"

"Mister Diggory was also prepared" Filius pointed out "He used much the same tactic as Miss Delacour - just slightly less successfully" He paused "Have you questioned him as to whether he knew what was coming?" 

"Mister Diggory's character is beyond reproach" Bagman said "His father sits on The Wizengamot!"

"That's not an answer, Ludo" Sirius snapped "Have you, or have you not, questioned whether Diggory knew what was coming?" Crouch stared at Sirius, then turned back to the three Headteachers.

"I have to investigate this complaint first" He said "Severus - did you tell anyone you shouldn't about the task?"

"No"

"Professor Lupin?"

"No"

"Professor Black?"

"What?" Sirius glared at him.

"Did you tell your son, or any of his friends, what The First Task entailed?" Bagman demanded. 

"No, I did not tell my son or any of his friends about what The First Task entailed" Sirius said. Bagman stared at him for a moment. 

"And how do we know you are telling the truth?" He asked a few moments later. 

"You don't, but if you want to ask me under veritaserum or make me swear a magical oath, you are going to have to have a lot more than an accusation from a snotty, disgruntled student to back up your claim" Sirius replied "And you had better be prepared for the consequences"

"Is that a threat?" Crouch asked.

"I have learned that making threats is pointless" Sirius smiled "So - are we done with the baseless accusations? And can we find out how the Diggory heir found out about the dragons?"

"It was your groundskeeper" Maxime said suddenly, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Olympe?" Remus asked "What do you know about this?"

"I know that the three of us....." She gestured to Karkaroff and Severus "......knew where the dragons were being kept in the days leading up to the task, and I knew that we were supposed to keep our students away from there" She looked at Crouch "I heard this part second hand, but two days ago, one of my students saw Diggory and his girlfriend walking into the forest and followed him. They walked straight to the clearing where the dragons were being kept, and mentioned something about Hagrid telling them where to go" She paused "My student also saw the dragons, and naturally she returned and told Fleur about them"

"So Miss Delacour did know in advance!" Crouch exclaimed triumphantly, but almost at once he was drowned out by shouts from Remus, Sirius, Severus and Maxime.

"A member of the Hogwarts staff told Diggory, and he got caught cheating by a Beauxbatons student!" Sirius yelled "I think if anyone is at fault, it is Diggory for cheating and Hagrid for helping him!" 

"And Miss Queen?" Bagman asked.

"I would assume that since Fleur knew that both she and Diggory had prior knowledge that it would only be fair to tell the third Champion" Maxime said with a shrug "So either she told Miss Queen, or she asked someone to tell her for her" 

"So you admit your Champion cheated?" Bagman asked, but this time was waved away by Fudge.

"Ladies, Gentlemen" He said "While it appears that all three Champions did have some fore knowledge of what was going to happen, I am not sure we can prove that any of them did so with any bad intent" He looked at the three Headteachers "Severus - if you would talk to Hagrid and ask him to explain himself, I would be most grateful. And if you could find out if Mister Diggory knew what he would find, rather than simply going into the forest, then we will know if he was going to cheat"

"He still accused the two young women of cheating, despite knowing he cheated himself" Sirius snapped "And he dragged my son and his friends into this" 

"I am aware of that, Professor Black" Fudge said calmly "So what I suggest is this" He paused "Since all three Champions had some prior knowledge, I would say we call that part of it a wash, so to speak, in that we don't punish any of them" The three Headteachers all nodded "Since Miss Delacour obviously wanted to ensure they were all on a level playing field, I would suggest awarding her one extra point for The Task, bringing her up to twenty points?" The three teachers nodded again "And, while I am loathe to say this, since Mister Diggory has obviously tried to gain an unfair advantage by making unfair accusations, I would suggest docking him one point for each accusation, dropping him down to sixteen points for the task" Maxime and Karkaroff both nodded, while Severus bit his lip.

"Are we going to explain this to the public and the school?" He asked "Because there are going to be questions"

"Mr Crouch will make an announcement after the evening meal" Fudge glanced over at Crouch, who gave a reluctant nod "Just the points, and that they are the result of an internal investigation. You don't need to spell out the details" He paused "Although I am fairly certain they will become public knowledge soon enough"

"Very well, I agree" Severus said.

"Good" Fudge smiled "Then I look forward to The Yule Ball and The Second Task" He paused "Hopefully they will pass with less incident"

xoxox

_Father,_

_It would appear that you, and The Professor, were right. After complaining about Potter and Lovegood on The First Task, Snape and Black manufactured a story for Fudge, Crouch and Bagman that ended up with me being docked two points and the French bitch being given an extra point for fair play or some other bollocks._

_Whatever influence the Lovegood girl has, it is clearly growing amongst the staff far faster than we thought. So whatever plans The Professor has, I suggest that you may wish to bring them forward before she becomes too powerful to to stop._

_Regards,  
Your son._


	10. Interlude 2 - You Never Forget Your First Time

She walks into The Great Hall to see it changes from what she remembers. 

The four tables are there, but instead of the staff table, there are three chairs....... no, she thinks, three thrones, because they are so ornate, so ostentatious that they really could not be described as anything else. 

As she looks around, she realises there are no House Banners hanging from the walls - they are, instead, adorned with with the same pennant over and over again. A black banner emblazoned with two wands crossed beneath a crown all enclosed in a circle of stars. 

She stars at the banners for a moment, sure that she has seen the design of the symbol before, then she turns as she hears a noise behind her.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" A cold, sharp voice asks. She finds a figure dressed head to toe in black pointing a wand at her stomach. She blinks, then after a moment she recognises the eyes staring back at her. 

"Ne.... Neville?" She barely whispers the word. 

"Security Cadet Longbottom" The boy replies, continuing to stare at her with the same cold stare "And that doesn't answer the question of what you are doing here"

"Don't...... don't you recognise me?" She asks "It's me, your girlfriend" Neville stares at her for a moment, then a look of recognition comes over her face, making her smile.

"I do know you" He says, and her smile widens "You were my first" He smiles a cruel smile.

"Your fi....."

"When we become Security Cadets, we must prove our loyalty, our commitment to The King by killing a mudblood and their family" He smiles at her "You were the one I killed - I tortured you in front of your parents, while Commander Potter and Queen Dumbledore looked on" He throws out his chest proudly "And then, when your body was beaten and broken on the floor, I made your father watch as I killed your mother, then I burned him alive as well" He smiles an almost beatific smile "It was the best, most proud night of my life"

"No......." She backs away, unable to hear any more.

"But that does beg the question of why you are here, now" He raises his wand and points it at her chest "CRUCIO!" 

xoxox

"NO!" Hermione's scream ripped out of her throat before she could stop it. A moment later, Susan and Hannah were by her side, while Megan sat up in bed across the room.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Susan asked, holding her hand. Hermione stared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"It was..... it was just a nightmare" She replied "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to wake you up" She paused "It was just....... a bad, bad dream" She smiled a weak smile "Go back to bed, I'll be fine, I promise" Hannah gazed at her for a moment longer, then nodded.

"Sleep well" She said, then walked back to her bed. Susan followed suit a moment later.

Hermione laid back down, but it was a long time before she closed her eyes.


	11. A False Prophet

**TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT ENGULFED IN SCANDAL**

_Staff Help Foreign Wizards Cheat!_   
_British Champion Unjustly Punished!_   
_Daughter of Quibbler Editor and Potter Implicated!_

Luna and Harry stared at the front page of The Daily Prophet, then looked across the Ravenclaw table to where Fleur and Sophithea were sat talking with Fred and George at the Gryffindor table.

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked quietly, and Luna gave a brief nod.

"Via Amos and Cuffe" She replied in the same quiet voice "Obviously he has decided to make me public enemy number one, so that when he finally does kill me, people won't bat an eyelid" Harry stared at her for a few seconds, and she smiled "Figuratively speaking of course"

"Of course" Harry grinned.

"Obviously I am going to die in bed making love to my husband when I am a hundred and fifty seven" She added, making him snort with laughter "But enough about our future, sweetie" She looked down at The Prophet again "This is the start of something much larger you know"

"I know, but unless you are willing to become the vengeful god-empress of the world I don't really see there is a lot we can do to stop it" He paused "Your father could lead a counter charge? Use The Quibbler to put the truth across?"

"He could, but The Prophet would just spin it as Daddy looking out for his Little Girl" She shrugged "I think we should just let them burn themselves out. Sooner or later, they - under The Great and Powerful Oz' direction - will print something that goes too far. That people won't believe, and then the people will rebel and freedom and justice will be restored to the land" Harry raised a curious eyebrow at her, making her blush "Sorry - I guess I got a little carried away there" 

"It did sound nice, but I am not sure getting The Prophet to write truth about us qualifies as freedom and justice"

"True" Luna nodded "But while The Prophet is writing all this nonsense and idiocy about us, it will let Dumbledore think he is on the right track" She paused, then looked round as Severus walked into The Great Hall and started to walk up the centre aisle. "And......." She trailed off, her eyes taking on the expression he associated with her 'I am lost in the future' look. He picked up The Prophet and held it up in front of them, pretending to read it, until her eyes regained their usual warmth and focus. 

"Sorry about that" She said, watching as Severus approached the podium in front of the staff table "But there was a sudden burst of futures, and they overloaded me a little" She paused, then smiled at the look of concern on his face "Don't worry sweetie, I am alright now" She looked up at the Headmaster again "And now - our Lord and Master" 

"Good morning everybody" Severus looked around The Great Hall "Following a discussion amongst the four Heads of House, it has been decided that Hogwarts has no official response to the story in today's Daily Prophet. To maintain the integrity of the judging process, and the integrity of The Tournament, we are not going to get into a mudslinging contest with an ill-informed tabloid rag that appears to have no higher purpose than to print slander and libel about various members of our student body and faculty" He paused "You are, of course, free to talk to the press if you wish, however no students are obligated to talk to any newspapers if they don't want to, and for the time being all reporters will be prohibited from the grounds, except when on official Tournament business" He looked around The Hall, and saw Luna smiling back at him "Unless, of course, they are visiting friends or family and not looking for a story while doing so" He couldn't help smiling as Luna gave him a polite nod.

"Meanwhile The Yule Ball will be going ahead as planned, as will the Hogsmeade weekends" He smiled "And as I have been helpfully informed that there are a large number of students who have not been taught how to dance, I have also arranged classes over the next few weeks for those who require them - see your Heads of House for details" He looked around The Hall again "That's all I have for now. Please return to your socialising and eating"

xoxox

"You know I have just thought of something" Harry said, looking at his girlfriend.

"Oh yes?" Luna quirked an eyebrow at him "What's that?"

"Miss Lovegood......" Harry started, but Luna cut him off.

"Yes" She beamed at him.

"How did you know what I was going to say?" Harry smirked, then raised his hand "That was a rhetorical question" He took her hand "Isn't there some wizarding tradition that I have to ask your father's blessing before I take you out for a formal ball?"

"You only need a father's blessing if you are going to marry them or sell them into slavery" Luna replied, then frowned "You aren't going to sell me into slavery, right?"

"Not until the end of the year" Harry shrugged "And only if I can get a decent price"

"That's okay then" Luna giggled "And by the way, I should possibly warn you about The House of Lovegood's idea of formal robes....."

xoxox

"Miss Granger" Hermione looked up as Neville walked up behind her "I do, most formally, beg leave to ask the prettiest, smartest girl I know to The Yule Ball"

"Sadly, Mr Longbottom, I am already going with Angela" Sally said as she and Angela walked up beside him, then winced as Angela smacked her on the arm "Good gods woman, what was that for? I can't say that you are going with me, because the idea of Neville wanting you as a date just creeps me out in ways I can't even begin to describe!" Hermione snorted with laughter.

"Sorry about my girlfriend, big brother" Angela smacked Sally again, then put her hand across Sally's mouth "Please - feel free to continue with your quest"

"Miss Granger" Neville gave a fake glare in Sally's direction, then turned back to Hermione "I do, most formally, beg leave to ask you - the prettiest, smartest and apparently least insane girl I know to The Yule Ball"

"Why yes, Mr Longbottom, I would be most honoured" Hermione gave a polite nod "Although I don't have any formal robes - until about five minutes ago I didn't realise that there was such a thing"

"Fear not, my lady" Harry bounded over, with Luna walking sedately behind him "For The House of Black has more robes than you can shake a stick at - more than enough for anyone who wants to borrow a set, or even who wants to keep a set" He paused "Robes for boys and girls alike, and I am sure that with the able help of Uncle Frank and Aunts Alice and Augusta, as well as Dad and Uncle Xeno, we can easily resize them to fit the younger generation" Hermione stood up and pulled Harry into a hug.

"Thank you" She whispered, then straightened up before looking across at the Gryffindor table "Sally, Angela?"

"House Longbottom has more than enough robes for me" Angela said, but Hermione shook her head.

"Will Sophithea be able to invite her girlfriend?" She asked, nodding to where the Durmstrang Champion was sat, still talking to Fleur.

"Oh - I am not sure" Angela admitted "But I think probably not" She sighed "Given that Karkaroff seems to find her offensive, I would imagine he is not going to do anything nice for her" She laid her head on Sally's shoulder, but almost at once lifted it off again, smiling "But we do know the Heads of two very powerful Houses, and the daughter of a Diplomat from France" She looked over at Fleur before turning back to Harry and Neville "Do you think that we could convince Dad, Uncle Sirius and Mr Delacour to arrange something?"

"We would have to have the Headmaster's agreement" Neville looked over his shoulder at Severus eating his breakfast "But I think we can probably manage that"

"So - we're agreed?" Hermione asked, looking around the group "We'll try to get Sophithea's girlfriend over here by Christmas and have her invited here for The Ball?" She paused "And we will try to do it as secretly as possible?"

"Agreed" Luna said, and the others nodded, then she glanced at her watch "But now I think we should probably get to class before we get into trouble" 

"Indeed, Miss Lovegood" She turned as Severus walked up behind her "But before you go, I believe I heard my name?"

"Yes, Headmaster" Luna glanced at the others, and they nodded "Would it be possible to speak to you and Professor Black in your office this evening?"

"Is it important?" Severus asked.

"Not vitally, but it is sort of urgent" Angela said "And, to answer your next question, Professor, it would be Harry, Luna and me"

"Very well" Severus nodded "I will let Professor Black know that we have a meeting. After the last lesson of the day?" Angela nodded in response "Very well - consider it a date, if you will pardon the phrase"

"Yes, sir" Angela gave another nod.

"Now run along before you get into trouble for being late"

xoxox

"My son, his girlfriend and Miss Longbottom want to talk to us?" Sirius frowned "Did they say what about?"

"No" Snape shook his head "However, given the group we are meeting, I would imagine it either relates to Albus or to their friendship with Miss Delacour and Miss Queen"

"No offence, Severus, but I don't think they would come to you with anything relating to Dumbledore" Sirius smiled "I am not sure they entirely trust you yet"

"That is fair" Severus tilted his head to one side "So something relating to The Tournament? They can't want to know about The Second or Third Tasks, surely?" 

"No" Sirius replied "Even if they wanted to know, they would work it out themselves without involving us - they don't want to get us in trouble" He paused "Well, they don't want to get me in trouble at least" Severus gave him a faint smile "I guess we will just have to wait and see"

"I suppose we will" Severus acknowledged "I arranged it for after the last class, before the evening meal" 

"I will be here" Sirius smiled "But now, I suspect my class will be waiting, and if I am not there soon who knows what mischief they may get up to. If you will excuse me?" He turned and walked out of Severus' office, leaving the Headmaster gazing after him.

"I wonder....." 

xoxox

Later that evening, Angela, Luna and Harry made their way to door of the Headmaster's office and looked up at the gargoyle.

"Any ideas?" Angela asked Luna.

"Some, but I would have to explain how I ended up having them" Luna replied, staring intently at the guardian of the door "I could just threaten to blow the nose of the ugly little creature"

"It might work" Sirius said, walking along the corridor towards them "However perhaps I might be of more help right now" He looked up at the gargoyle "Robin Hood" The door opened, shifting to one side.

"Robin Hood?" Harry asked.

"Headmaster Snape has been experimenting with fictional characters from muggle stories" Sirius explained "Partly because he wanted a change from Dumbledore's passwords, but also because it would be something no self-respecting pureblood would ever try if they came up here" He walked up onto the spiral stair case "Shall we?"

xoxox

"ENTER!" Severus called out, then watched as Sirius lead Harry, Angela and Luna into the office "Good evening"

"Headmaster" Sirius smiled, then turned to the students "So - what can we do for you this fine evening?" Luna and Harry both looked at Angela, who took a deep breath.

"Headmaster, Patriarch Black, the three of us - as well as our three friends - have a request to ask of you" She said. Snape quirked an eyebrow, while Sirius tilted his head to one side.

"Patriarch?" He looked at Harry "You are aware what that means?"

"Yes, Dad" Harry nodded.

"Okay" Sirius smiled, then looked back at Angela "Go ahead, Miss Longbottom"

"As you might be aware, Sophithea Queen has a girlfriend back in Bulgaria who was not permitted to travel to Hogwarts for The Tournament, since she is not quite 17 yet. Although Miss Queen hasn't said anything, we think she'd like to invite her to The Yule Ball, rather than going with anyone at Hogwarts, but given the Durmstrang Headmaster's attitude towards his Champion we are not convinced he will allow her to come over - Tara that is" Angela paused "So we were hoping that with the combined political influence of House Black, House Longbottom and House Delacour you would be able to arrange a travel permit or visa or whatever it is called for Tara Davana to come over to the UK for Christmas" The two teachers stared at her in silence for a moment.

"And my part in this, I assume, would be to grant her permission to visit the school?" Severus asked.

"Yes, sir" Angela nodded "For the week over Christmas, so that we could get to know her, and so that Sophithea could have some time with her" Sirius and Severus exchanged glances.

"Have you spoken to your mother about this, Miss Longbottom? Or to Miss Delacour?" Sirius asked.

"Not yet" Angela shook her head "I thought that if Tara couldn't come to Hogwarts, there wouldn't be much point in getting the rest of it sorted out"

"She may" Severus smiled "I see no reason not to grant permission, providing that Miss....."

"Davana" Harry supplied.

"Miss Davana can get permission to travel, and does not have The Dark Mark" He paused "While I am willing to accommodate much, I will not let a known Death Eater on to the grounds" He realised Sirius was smirking at him "Oh shut up, Black"

"Yes, Headmaster" Sirius smirked at him.

"So, Miss Longbottom, Mister Black, Miss Lovegood - if you can ensure that Miss Davana can come to Scotland, she will be welcome at Hogwarts for the two weeks either side of The Ball" Severus finished.

"Thank you sir" Angela smiled, while Luna bounded over and pulled him into a hug, making him blush.

"You are most welcome" He said after a few moments, still smiling from Luna's hug "Now I suggest you talk to your mother, and to Miss Delacour about securing the necessary documentation - you only have a month to sort this out"

"Yes, sir!" Angela snapped him a swift salute, then looked at Sirius "Patriarch, can we speak later?"

"Of course, love" Sirius nodded "I'll arrange a floo call with Frank, Alice and Augusta"

"And I'll let Daddy know that we want to talk to The Delacours" Luna smiled.

"If that is all, I do actually have things to be getting on with" Severus said archly.

"Sorry, Headmaster" Harry replied apologetically "We'll let you get back to your blood drinking or whatever it is you do in private" Sirius laughed, then quickly ushered the students out of The Headmaster's office.

"I'll floo home and ask everyone to come to Cair Paravel tonight" He said.

"Thanks, Dad"

"Now run along to tea"

"Yes, Dad"

xoxox

"Fleur? Can I talk to you and Gabrielle?" Luna and Harry walked up to The Delacour sisters at the end of the Ravenclaw table.

"You aren't going to tell me we have to fight a giant spider in the next task, are you?" Fleur asked with a wry smile.

"No" Harry shook his head "It's three giant spiders" Fleur rolled her eyes, then the two French girls stood up and walked out of the room into The Entrance Hall.

"So, Aunty Luna, what do you want?" Gabrielle asked.

"I was hoping that you and your sister could ask your father a favour" Luna said "You know about the upcoming Ball?"

"Yes, and it is so unfair I can't attend!" Gabrielle said in a dramatic tone, making Fleur roll her eyes again while Harry and Luna smiled.

"Well, we were hoping that your parents might be able to help arrange transport and travel documents for Tara Davana" Luna continued, and almost at once Fleur's eyes lit up.

"I would guess you haven't spoken to Sophithea about this, yes?" She asked, then smiled when both Harry and Luna shook their heads "Gabrielle, you will keep this a secret?"

"Yes, Fleur" The younger girl nodded, then looked at Harry "I don't suppose you would like to ask me to The Ball, Mister Black?" Harry smiled fondly at her.

"I wish I could, dear one, but sadly Luna is a year too young to go, so if I don't ask her, she will not be able to go either" He took his girlfriend's hand "And I already promised I would take her"

"Pooh" Gabrielle pouted at him. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Have no fear, dear one, I am sure it will all work out in the end" He said quietly, making her smile.

"I will send an owl to Mother and Father tonight" Fleur said, putting her arm around her sister's shoulder "They should have no problems being able to see Miss Davana within the next few days"

"We are going to talk to our parents tonight, and I will ask Daddy to get in touch" Luna smiled, then she looked into The Great Hall and saw the food had appeared "Time to eat!"

xoxox

"A guest of The House of Longbottom would not be questioned" Frank smiled "Providing her parents will let her leave, and the Delacours can provide her with travel papers, we will gladly have her to stay for as long as is necessary" 

"Thank you" Angela gave her father a hug, then her mother and grandmother "I know it seems that we are going out on a limb for someone we barely know, but....."

"You wouldn't be you if you weren't" Alice smiled.

"Once Mr Delacour gets in touch, we will arrange things from our end, sweetie" Xeno gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead "I would imagine, given young Fleur's...... persuasive nature, it should be relatively soon"

"I am willing to bet it will be within the week" Luna grinned back at him, then glanced around her friends "In the meantime, I believe Neville said something about formal robes?"

xoxox

The following morning, Luna walked down to breakfast, already fairly sure what she would see when she got there, and ambled up to the end of the Hufflepuff table to find Harry and Hermione staring at a copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Good morning my good and dear friends" She said with a happy smile "Let me guess - you have exciting and dramatic news for me?" Her two friends stared back at her, then lowered The Prophet to the table so Luna could see the front page.

**Two Noble Houses to Sully Their Heritages**

_Potter Rumoured to Ask Veela Champion_

_Longbottom Siblings ask Muggle-Born and Lesbian For Dates_

_Sources Suggest Quibbler Editor's Daughter Orchestrated Situation_

Luna stared at the paper for a few moments, then looked around The Hall to see almost everyone was reading The Prophet. 

"Well, isn't this interesting" She said, glancing down at the paper again "They really are going for it, aren't they?"

"Will you get your father to demand a retraction?" Hermione asked "At least about Harry and you?" Luna looked at her boyfriend, then shook her head.

"I think that we can put this to a better purpose" She said, then smiled at Harry "So, if you can put up with a few comments linking you and Fleur for the new few weeks, then I think I know what to do"

"I am sure it will be a huge burden, dear heart, but I will manage" Harry smirked at her. Luna rolled her eyes, while Hermione smacked his arm.

"Remember - they are just stories" She said.

"I know, I know" He shook his head "Girls - no sense of humour.... OW!" He rubbed his arm where Luna and Hermione had both hit him "You know you are just proving my point, right?"

"Thrrrp!" Luna stuck her tongue out, then walked across to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Fleur "Miss Delacour, on behalf of the House of Black - since The House of Potter doesn't exist, and I guess the House of Lovegood I would like to offer our official apologies for the article in The Prophet and any problems it might cause" Fleur stared at her, then shrugged.

"When I was nine, I read that my mother had seduced my father using her powers. She had overridden his free will and shredded his mind, making him little more than a mindless sex slave to her evil wants and needs" She paused "The press, as a rule, suck. They will write what they write"

"You know my father is a newspaper editor" Luna said with an amused grin, making Fleur blush "But he will admit that some of his colleagues are not the most ethical of people"

"Well, your father's activities aside, I do not believe either you or your boyfriend owe me an apology, Miss Lovegood" Fleur said formally "As I said, newspapers will write what they write, and I am not going to hold someone who does not work for them responsible" 

"That may be true" Luna glanced around, then lowered her voice "However since Christmas is only a few weeks away, Harry and I have decided not to do anything about the story, and just let the truth come out as it will, so we would both like to apologise for any comments or insults or slurs you might get over the next few weeks" Fleur quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I take it you have a plan?" She asked thoughtfully.

"I do" Luna nodded.

"Then I accept the formal apologies" Fleur nodded "And I promise I will ignore any rumours, slights and slurs because I already have a date" She paused "I have to tell my date about this"

"You have a date? Already?" Luna asked in surprise.

"Veela" Gabrielle said from behind her "You'd be surprised how easy it is for her to get a date with pretty much anyone she wants"

"Brat" Fleur smiled fondly at her sister "But she is not wrong"

"So who is the lucky boy?" Luna asked.

"Roger Davies" Fleur smiled.

"Good choice" Luna looked over at the Ravenclaw table to where Roger was talking with Cho, Neville, Sally and Angela "I haven't spoken to him much, but he seems nice enough"

"I am glad you approve" Fleur replied drily "Do you think he will understand?"

"I am sure he will" Luna patted her hand "And if he doesn't, I am sure you can find someone who does"

"That much is certain" Fleur gave an emphatic nod. Luna looked at Gabrielle.

"Would you like to come with me to talk to Professors Black and Lupin?" She asked "I think you will enjoy it"

"Can I?" Gabrielle asked her sister. Fleur nodded, and Gabrielle slipped her hand into Luna's "Alon Ze!" They walked up the centre aisle to the staff table, and stopped in front of Remus and Sirius. 

"Miss Lovegood - to what do we owe the pleasure?" Remus asked "Not The Prophet?"

"No - I will talk to Daddy about that" Luna smiled "What I was wondering was about the night of The Ball, and what everyone else will be doing while we are dancing the night away?" 

"Pardon me?" Sirius looked at her in confusion.

"You have plans to entertain those who aren't going to The Ball, yes?" Luna asked.

"Yes"

"But I am guessing you are stuck on somewhere to hold it?"

"You are remarkably intuitive at times, Miss Lovegood" Remus said with a smile.

"They didn't put my in Slytherin for nothing you know" She replied.

"They didn't put you in Slytherin at all" Sirius pointed out.

"True" Luna shrugged "Anyway - since my good and dear friend Gabrielle is looking forward to a night of fun and frolics, I was wondering if I could be of any assistance, or if you could find somewhere on your own?" 

"We will take all the help we can get, Miss Lovegood" Remus said "So if you do think of somewhere, don't hesitate to let us know"

"You will be the....." She paused, then counted off a few numbers on her fingers "The third and fourth to know" She smiled "Assuming I don't get waylaid on the way back from wherever I might find, of course"

"Of course"

"Of course"

"Then, I will bid you adieu for now" Luna gave a polite bow, which Gabrielle mirrored, then both girls turned and skipped off down the centre aisle, leaving the two teachers staring after them.

"Do you think she will find somewhere?" Remus asked.

"Do you think she won't?" Sirius replied.

xoxox

"I take it there's a reason we are going up to the seventh floor?" Sally asked, looking at Luna "Because from what I remember the only stuff up here is dust and cobwebs the size of a flattened quaffle" She peered around "You don't think there are spiders on the cobwebs?"

"We aren't going to be eaten by spiders tonight" Luna replied in an offhand manner, then laughed "Or any other night in the near future"

"That's good to know" Sally said with a dry smile "So why......" She trailed off, staring in surprise as a wooden door appeared in the wall in front of them ".....the hell?" Luna turned to her with a smile.

"Want to see where it leads?" She wiggled her eyebrows. Sally glanced at the door, then back at her friend.

"You are certain it's not a portal to hell?" Sally asked hesitantly.

"Oh yes" Luna nodded "I know what the portal to hell looks like, and it is definitely not a wooden door" She paused "Although if you believe a book I once read, a wooden door is a portal to the lair of a giant spider that will eat you" Sally stared at her "Sorry - just thought I would lighten the moment"

"Nice try" Sally replied in a deadpan tone, then looked at the door again.

"So - shall we?" Luna said.

"Why not?" Sally nodded. Luna took a step forward, then pushed the door open and they both peered inside.

xoxox

The following weekend, Harry, Luna and the rest of the group escorted Fleur, Gabrielle and Sophithea along the road down to Hogsmeade and towards The Three Broomsticks. However they stopped a few buildings short when a woman in a deep purple coat and a bright green scarf walked out into the street in front of them.

"Miss Delacour, Miss Queen - I was wondering if I might have a word?" Fleur and Sophithea exchanged looks, then both turned back to the woman.

"How about no?" Sophithea said "That is a word" 

"Now, now" Rita Skeeter smiled ingratiatingly at her "Do you really want to piss off the paper of record?"

"You have already tried to destroy my life, Miss Skeeter" Fleur said flatly "With a story that, when Christmas comes, will be proven to be false and show you to be the liar that you are" She paused "If you are going to write stories that are complete fiction I would rather not be involved"

"On that I agree" Sophithea added. Skeeter stared at them, then looked at the rest of the group.

"Mister Potter, do you have any comment about The Yule Ball, or the story?" She asked.

"Miss Skeeter, aside from the fact my name is Harry Black, not Harry Potter, my father has suggested that I shouldn't talk to any reporter, editor or other member of The Fourth Estate without a responsible adult present" He paused, then glanced at Fleur and Sophithea "No offence, ladies"

"None taken" They replied in unison.

"So, since my father, not to mention my Head of House, has suggested that I should not talk to you, I hope you will understand why all I have to say on the record is 'No Comment' and if you quote any other part of what has been said here today, I, and my father, will sue you and The Daily Prophet for everything they have. And make no mistake - we will win" He paused "And while I don't normally take the step of speaking on behalf of my friends, I am fairly certain the same goes for all of them" The others all nodded "Somehow I thought so" Skeeter stared at them, then gave a single nod.

"So that is a no comment from The Houses of Black, Longbottom and two Tri-Wizard Champions on the continuing rumours of collusion and cheating within The Tournament" She made a note on her pad "Thank you" She turned on her heel and stalked off, leaving the group staring after her.

"Is that true?" Fleur looked at Harry "What you said about your father?"

"On advice from Daddy" Luna nodded "The Prophet might be a bunch of feckless, soulless bastards who have no ethics, but they understand the concept of lawsuits just as well as any other newspapers" She smiled "And being sued by The House of Black or The House of Longbottom - or even The Houses of Lovegood or Perks - would most likely bankrupt them"

"Helpful" Sophithea smiled.

"The House of Black can off....." Harry started, but Fleur laughed.

"I am the daughter of one of the most decorated diplomats in France" She said "My father is also good friends with many members of our government" Harry blushed.

"My apologies" He said, but she waved her hand dismissively.

"Thank you for the offer" She looked at Sophithea "Sophie?"

"While my family is not as connected, I do have something else on my side" She paused, then grinned "I don't give a crap what The Prophet prints about me - they are a bunch of bigoted morons who can go jump in the lake for all I care" Fleur laughed and the others smiled "Besides - after coming out in my second year, and the stories that followed me round ever since, it takes more than a stupid wench with a notebook to rile me up" 

"Glad to hear it" Luna grinned "So - shall we do what we came here to do?" She gestured to The Three Broomsticks "Our parents will be wondering where we are"

"You know that The Delacours have their own robes, yes?" Fleur said.

"As do I?"

"I know" Harry nodded "But I thought that you might be able to give us advice on what looks good" He paused "And since Gabrielle is not going to The Ball itself, and Dad and Uncle Remus promised to arrange a party for the rest of the school, I thought you might want to pick something out to wear for it" 

"You think the I don't have pretty dresses already?" Gabrielle asked with an amused smile. Harry rolled his eyes then looked at Luna.

"Should I just give up while I am way behind?" He asked.

"Yes, dear" Luna nodded, making the two Delacour sisters laugh "So, if you would like to come with us, you can critique our choice of formal robes, or possibly suggest ball gowns for each of us"

"Now that does sound like fun" Sophithea said "Alon ze!"

xoxox

Two hours later, the group emerged from the pub again, all smiling. 

"You know what I like about the muggle world?" Harry said "At muggle weddings, and other formal occasions, you rarely get two men who walk into a room, look at each other and go 'Oh my god! We wearing the same thing!'" He looked around, then turned to Hermione "I thought at least you would have found it funny"

"So that's the fourth thing you were wrong about today, and it's not even lunch!" Hermione said with a grin "Is that a new record?" Harry stuck his tongue out, then looked at Luna.

"So, what's next?" He asked. Luna shrugged.

"Get drunk, run amok and burn down the village?" She suggested, then she saw a flash of purple coat in the distance "Then again, maybe we shouldn't attract any more attention than necessary" She turned to Fleur and Sophithea "Do you want to see the most haunted building in Britain?"

xoxox

"What is this place?" Remus looked around the room Luna had discovered with an expression of awe on his face before turning to Sirius, Severus, Pomona and Filius "Did any of you know this room existed?"

"I think I recall Albus mentioning it once" Severus said "But he described it as a room full of chamber pots" He looked around at the grand ballroom "He never mentioned anything like this" He turned back to Sirius and Remus "And you say Miss Lovegood just stumbled across this?"

"She and Sally were looking for a place to hold the party we were planning for the first, second and third years" Sirius replied "They were walking around the school, looking for places, and a door appeared" He shrugged "It's a school of magic - these things are bound to happen once in a while" 

"Well, however they found it, I think it would be perfect" Filius said, looking around the ballroom again "It's magnificent, and definitely somewhere we could host a party for a group of hyperactive children" He paused "If only there were a....." He trailed off as - if in answer to his unspoken thought - a stage appeared at the end of the room "..... my word! I think this is somewhere that will require more investigation" He turned to Severus "The applications for teaching some of our classes would be..... interesting to say the least"

"Quite" Severus nodded "Very well - assuming this room stays here, and we can get in and out with no problems, you may hold the Christmas party here, and if anyone has ideas for teaching here in the future, please submit them to me for consideration" He turned and swept out of the room, leaving the four Heads of House to continue examining the room they had found. 

xoxox

Later that evening, Sirius walked down the length of The Great Hall and stopped behind Luna and Harry at the Ravenclaw table.

"Good evening, Professor Black" Luna said without looking round "How was your afternoon?"

"You know that's kind of creepy, Miss Lovegood" Sirius sat down next to Harry "How do you know it's me?"

"You have a different tread than Remus, your cloak makes a different noise than the Headmaster, you are obviously heavier than Professor Flitwick and - with all due respect - you smell different than Professor Sprout" She smiled "And I think if Hagrid had walked up behind me, I would know"

"She has a point" Harry grinned. Sirius laughed.

"Well - my afternoon was quite productive. We explored the room you found, and both Remus and I think it will be perfect for The Christmas Party, and all four of us agree that it might be good for holding lessons in in the future" He continued "Because although it started out as a grand ballroom, we managed to get it to transform into the shopping centre by our house, a recreation of Cape Kennedy and a fairly good representation of the solar system"

"Wow" Harry exhaled quietly.

"So we were thinking of carrying out a few classes in there, especially Muggle Studies and a few of the more advanced Astronomy classes" Sirius said, then she looked at Luna "Thank you"

"You are most welcome, Dad" She said, making Sirius smile fondly at her. Luna glanced over to where Gabrielle was sat with the Gryffindors, then turned back to Sirius "So - what do you have planned for the party?"


	12. A Night To Forget, A Morning To Remember

_Dear Molly,_

_Enclosed is specially enchanted gift. I would like you to send this to Ginny, and ensure she takes it to The Yule Ball where she should present it to Harry Potter with the words "This is for you, Harry"_

_Make sure she understands that she should not give it to anyone else, nor should she use the words before then. And, if she can, she should give it to Harry at the same time that Cedric gives a similar present to Luna._

_Thank you in advance,_  
your friend,  
Albus. 

xoxox

_Dear Amos,_

_Enclosed is a specially enchanted gift. I would like you to send this to Cedric, and ensure he takes it to The Yule Ball, where he should present it to Luna Lovegood with the words "This is for you, Luna"_

_Make sure he understands that he should not give it to anyone else, nor should he use the words before then. Also make sure he gives it to Luna at the same time as Ginny gives a present to Harry._

_Thank you in advance,_  
your friend,  
Albus. 

xoxox

_Dear Ginny,_

_I am very happy that Dean invited you to The Yule Ball tomorrow night, and I hope you enjoy the evening (but not too much - while I might not look it, I am too young to be a grandmother and you are definitely too young to be a mother!)_

_Since it has become apparent that Harry and his friends have not accepted our invitation to The Burrow for Christmas, I have enclosed a small present for Harry. Please make sure you give it to him tomorrow night, during The Ball, with the words "This is for you, Harry"_

_Do not give it to anyone else, and make sure you use those exact words but only when you give it to him. I know it sounds odd, but I want to make sure he knows it is specifically for him. It may also help with what we discussed over the summer, my daughter, so please make sure you do as I say._

_Cedric Diggory will also be giving a present to the Lovegood girl, so try to do it at the same time to avoid drawing attention._

_I will see you when The Express returns on Christmas Day,_  
Love,  
your Mother. 

xoxox

_Cedric,_

_Find enclosed a package. Give it to Miss Lovegood during The Yule Ball with the words "This is for you, Luna"_

_Make sure you give it to her when Ginny gives a similar package to Harry, and make sure you use the words. Do not move before then, or all will be lost._

_You've already seen the danger that the Lovegood girl presents. This will help ensure that she is neutralised and put somewhere she cannot do any more harm to our world and the future of our society._

_I am counting on you, Cedric. If I could do this myself, I would, but I can't, so I must ask you to act on my behalf._

_Do good, my son, and I will talk to you at Christmas,_  
love,  
your Father. 

xoxox

Harry leaned back on the sofa, watching the stairway to the girls' dormitories. He had spent the early evening getting ready, and was now waiting for Hermione so he could escort her to the Ravenclaw common room to meet Neville, Luna and Sally. From there, they would go on to the Gryffindor common room to meet Angela and then return to The Great Hall in time for the start of The Ball. 

Or, he thought, that was the theory. Luna had been a little distracted all day, and although she had promised him it was nothing to worry about, he never really liked it when she was distracted because generally it meant something interesting was going to happen in the very near future. 

It wasn't that he lacked faith in her - after everything he had seen, everything they had been through, he knew that she would never deliberately put any of them in danger, and if she had no choice, she would ensure they would find a way out of it. 

But still, knowing that Luna wasn't completely happy, and completely at ease, made him feel less than completely happy and less than completely at ease. 

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a noise from the steps, and he looked up to see Hermione, Hannah and Susan coming down together. Getting to his feet, he took a few steps, then gave a deep bow.

"Ladies......" He paused, then pulled three yellow roses from inside his robes "....these are for you" The three girls smiled at him, and each took a rose.

"Why thank you, kind sir" Hermione said "But may I ask why?"

"I thought I would show them what true beauty was" He said calmly, making all three girls blush "Miss Bones, Miss Abbott, if you will forgive me, but Mr Longbottom and the redoubtable Miss Lovegood will be waiting for Miss Granger and me, and Miss Perks is no doubt eager to meet up with Miss Longbottom so I think that if you will excuse us, we should be going"

"By all means" Susan said, still slightly pink.

"We will no doubt see you later" Harry gave another bow.

"You'll save us a dance?" Hannah asked.

"I will try" Harry said "But as I would not like to disappoint you by breaking a promise, I will merely say I will do my best" He offered Hermione his arm, then they turned and left the common room together. 

"So who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Hermione asked as they walked along the corridor "Because the Harry I know has never been this suave and charming"

"I haven't?" Harry looked at her with a disappointed expression "And here I thought I was Mister Charming"

"Well sadly you are just Mister Black" She smiled as they walked up the stairs "So? Where did the charming come from?" Harry shrugged, then waved at his robes.

"I think dressing up as a old timey country squire or whatever has infected me or something" He gave a soft laugh "It's the first time I have had clothes like this. The Dursleys were not big on me dressing smart" Hermione squeezed his arm, but he shook his head "They aren't a part of my life any more, sweetie, and I am not giving them a second thought" They reached the top of the stairs, then set off along the corridor towards the Ravenclaw common room. 

"May I say you do look very handsome this evening, Mister Black" Hermione said as they turned a corner "And I am sure Luna will be very pleased to see you"

"I hope so" Harry replied, then sighed as Hermione frowned "Don't worry about it"

"About what?"

"Whatever it is that Luna is worried about" Harry said quietly "She has been a little distracted and floopy all day, which is a sure sign that something is going to happen, but she hasn't felt the need to talk to us about it, or to me about it, so whatever it is she has it well in hand and doesn't want to screw up or enjoyment of the night" He came to a halt, then turned to face her, pulling his arm away from hers.

"We all trust her, Hermione, you know we do, and you know that she would die before she puts any of us in danger" He stared into her eyes "Whatever it is - and for all I know it could just be me being overly paranoid - just relax and enjoy the night. Dance with Neville, dance with Sally, Angela, Fleur and Sophithea and anyone else your heart may desire" He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek "As long as you save a dance for me, of course"

"Of course" Hermione replied, then slipped her arm back into his and they started walking again. 

xoxox

"Are the wards prepared?" Dumbledore looked across at Moody "We will only have once chance at this, Alastor, and if we misjudge it then all our efforts will be for nought"

"I am aware of that Albus" Moody replied sourly "The wards are ready and will hold them when they get here, providing that Miss Lovegood doesn't have any more tricks up her sleeve to make them break or shatter"

"I don't think she will, Alastor" Dumbledore stood up and started walking around the room, wand drawn "While I believe that she has the power to manipulate people, I do not believe that extends to inanimate objects or wards and other magical fields. Once we get her here, she will be trapped behind the wards, as will Mister Potter"

"You are aware that everyone will come looking for them?" Moody looked up at him "Not just Black, Lovegood and their friends, but The Ministry as well"

"I am aware, but by the time they come, we will be long gone" Dumbledore gave him a supportive smile "We will be perfectly safe, my old friend, and we will be able to ensure the defeat of Voldemort and the safety of our world" He lowered his wand and placed it back inside his robes, then looked at the clock on the wall of the cabin "We have a few hours. I want to go over everything again" Moody stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well" He said, getting up from his seat "Lets go check the wards outside again"

xoxox

Harry and Hermione came to a halt in front of the Ravenclaw portrait. 

"Password?" A monk dressed in white robes asked. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then looked back at the portrait. 

"A moose once bit my sister, you know?" Harry suggested.

"My name is Hermione, my quest is to find the grail, the average speed of an unladen swallow is 23 miles per hour" Hermione added. The monk stared at them blankly, then Hermione looked at Harry.

"You know how magical people don't get muggle jokes?" She said "Well, I think that might apply to magical portraits as well"

"That is not the problem, my dear" The monk said "I was just wondering if you meant an African swallow or a European Swallow" Hermione stared back at the portrait for a moment before bursting into laughter as the portrait itself swung open to let them in. 

"Who......" Hermione started between laughs ".....who taught you about The Holy Grail?" 

"Take a guess" The monk replied with a wry smile "Now - your dates are waiting for you, My Lord and Lady, so you should not keep them waiting long. And enjoy your evening of dinner and dancing"

"Yes, my good sir" Hermione gave a polite bow, then she and Harry walked inside to find Neville waiting for them by the fireplace. Harry let go of Hermione's arm, then took a few steps back, allowing her to walk forward on her own. 

"Oh......" Neville started, then stopped, simply staring at her "I was going to say something, but I am afraid words fail me" He paused "You look truly lovely tonight, my dear" Hermione blushed, but walked forward and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

"You are very handsome, my dear" She said "And thank you" She took his hand then turned round, moving to stand next to him, while Harry took a few steps forward.

"Luna and Sally are just getting ready" Neville supplied "And I think that they just wanted to make an entrance"

"I resemble that remark!" A voice said from behind them, and Harry turned to see Sally stood at the bottom of the stairs "We are going to be stunning whether we make an entrance or not"

"That much is certain" Harry tilted his head in acknowledgement "Good evening, Miss Perks. You certainly look lovely tonight"

"Why thank you, Mister Black" Sally bowed "Our fearless leader will be down in a moment - she just had to......" 

"Powder her nose?" Hermione suggested.

"Pee, I was going to say" Sally shrugged "We aren't in the 1600s, and it's not like you don't know that girls pee every now and then" She turned as Luna walked down the steps behind her "Miss Lovegood, we were just discussing you"

"I am sure you were" Luna rolled her eyes, then looked over the group "Hermione, you look beautiful"

"Thank you" Hermione replied "Your boyfriend said the same thing" Luna looked over at Harry, as did Sally.

"Hermione looks beautiful, while I just look lovely?" She asked archly. Harry gave her an apologetic smile.

"I thought if I said it now, it would sound forced and a tad fake" He walked over and took her hands "But never doubt that I think you, Angela and Hermione are truly beautiful" He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Sally blushed, then glanced over her shoulder. Harry followed her gaze and smiled.

"I already know she will never doubt it" He said simply, then he let go of Sally's hands and walked over to his girlfriend "Good evening, My Lady"

"My Lord" She nodded, then smiled "You know, for an orphan you clean up good" He laughed.

"Hermione said the same thing" He glanced over at Hermione, who was talking quietly with Neville. 

"Lady has good taste" Luna replied, then looked over at Sally "Shall we go and find the last member of our group?"

"If we are all done here" Sally nodded "She'll be waiting"

"Hermione? Neville? Any objections?" Luna called out. They both shook their heads.

"Then we are off to see the wizard" She said with a smile. She took Harry's hand, then turned and walked towards the portrait hole, with the other three following them.

xoxox

Angela paced back and forth in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, casting occasional glances at the portrait hole. 

"What's the matter?" Lavender asked from the nearby sofa "Worried she will stand you up?" Angela paused in her pacing for a moment, then shook her head and resumed her walking back and forth.

"So what's the matter?" Parvati asked, sitting down next to Lavender.

"They are just a little late" Angela said, stopping and staring at the portrait hole "And what with everything that has happened over the past few years, I am just....." She trailed off as there was a knocking sound "..... worrying over nothing it seems" She bounded over and commanded the portrait to open, belatedly noticing that Ginny Weasley had walked down the stairs and was hovering near by. 

"Miss Longbottom" Sally bowed politely "I do, most humbly, request the honour of being your date to this most prestigious event" Angela smiled.

"The honour, good lady, would be mine" She replied, then gave an equally polite bow "Will our friends be joining us?" 

"They are waiting down the corridor, sweetie" Sally paused, then lowered her voice "Idril didn't want to come in to the common room" Angela quirked an eyebrow but simply shrugged.

"Then we should go and meet them" She smiled, stepping out of the portrait hole and taking Sally's hand "Shall we?"

"We shall"

xoxox

Ginny watched the portrait close behind Angela, and let out a silent curse. But a moment later Dean walked up to her, a smile on his face, and she smiled back. 

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Of course" She nodded, letting her hand touch the package inside her right hand pocket "I am all yours"

xoxox

Pomona smiled as the three couples walked down the main staircase and across The Entrance Hall before coming to a halt in front of her.

"Good evening, Professor Sprout" Luna said "May I say you look very nice tonight"

"As do all of you" Pomona replied "The Ball will start shortly, and if you would like to go inside, it will be lead off by the three Champions" She nodded to the left of The Entrance Hall, where Cedric, Fleur and Sophithea were stood with their dates. When Sophithea saw them, she and her date broke away and walked over to them.

"Luna, Angela, everyone - this is Tara" Sophithea said with a beaming smile "And since I believe I owe her presence at my side to your combined efforts, I thought I would introduce you"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tara" Luna replied, then pointed at two of her friends "But mostly it was Angela, Harry and Fleur who did all the work" Tara gave her a shy grin, then looked at Angela and Harry.

"Thank you" She said in hesitating English.

"Sophithea is our friend" Angela said with a shrug "But you are most welcome"

"While this is all very sweet and a nice example of inter-school co-operation" Pomona said in a kindly voice "You have to lead The Ball off shortly, Miss Queen, so please rejoin Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory, if you would be so kind"

"Of course, Professor" Sophithea nodded, then took Tara's hand and walked back over to the other two Champions. 

"And Miss Lovegood...."

"I know - we should go inside" Luna smiled "Sorry for making life so complicated" Pomona smiled back at them.

"Compared to some my students, Miss Lovegood, you are a river of joy" She paused "Now go inside before I change my mind"

"Yes, Professor"

xoxox

Sirius looked out over the ballroom, then looked at Remus.

"Well, it looks like our party is a success" He said, gesturing to the three years worth of students who were all partying.

"Even Gabrielle seems to be having a good time" Remus pointed to where the youngest guest was sitting with a group of first years around a table, all digging into their main course "I admit I was worried about her, what with her being the youngest here by a long way"

"Veela tend to mature faster than their counterparts" Sirius replied "Part of their genetic heritage, apparently - make sure they are capable of handling the increased attention they get as they get older and more attractive" Remus quirked an amused eyebrow at him.

"You think Gabrielle is attractive?" He asked with a laugh. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, you lecherous old wolf" Sirius shook his head "But back in the day, when we were coming into our seventh year, I started doing a bit of research into Veela, because I thought you, me, James and that rat-bastard could maybe go in search of the legendary colony I had heard about" Remus stared at him. 

"Why did we never learn about this?" Remus asked after a few moments.

"Well Lily finally got over her aversion to James, the war started to get more and more serious and the rat-bastard became more and more distant" Sirius sighed "In the end, I thought a trip with just you and me would be kind of sad and pathetic, so I just gave up on my dreams"

"Poor boy" Remus said in the most fake sympathetic tone he could manage, making Sirius stick his tongue out at his friend.

"But if what our friend says is true, and we are nearly done, I might see if I can find the research I did, and set off into the wilds on my own" He smiled "I'm sure Xeno will be happy to look after Harry for a little while, and I think, after everything, I've earned a bit of rest and relaxation" 

"Truer words were never spoken" Remus admitted, then he looked around "And now, if you will excuse me, I think I need another talk with this room" He stood up and walked over to where a group of third years had somehow managed to create a small swimming pool. Sirius stared at them for a moment, then burst out laughing. 

xoxox

Fudge walked to the front of the stage, and smiled.

"Good evening, and welcome one and all to The Yule Ball" He announced "And now, to lead off the evening's festivities, I am proud to present the three Tri-Wizard Champions - Miss Delacour, Miss Queen and Mister Diggory!" The doors to The Great Hall opened and Fleur and Roger walked in, followed by Sophithea and Tara with Cedric and Cho bringing up the rear.

As they walked into the centre of The Hall, the orchestra started to play, and the three couples started to dance a waltz.

xoxox

"They do make a very lovely couple" Harry said, watching Sophithea and Tara waltzing around the floor "And I am more than a little surprised that they were allowed to come to The Ball together"

"Really?" Luna looked at him as the three couples continued to dance.

"The magical world is ripping itself apart over blood purity" He said quietly "It doesn't entirely give me faith that they would be all that tolerant over other....... differences" Luna leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Have you ever considered there is so much hate and loathing over blood purity in the magical world that there is no space for any other kind?" She suggested with a wry smile. Harry blinked, then gave a soft shrug so as not to dislodge her head.

"Kind of makes sense, in a weird way" He paused, then closed his eyes "Does that mean once we've taken care of them and brought peace, justice and love back to the world, they are going to start finding something else to beat each other over the head with?" Luna lifted her head up and stared at him.

"Aren't you just a little ball of sunshine tonight?" She said, brow furrowed "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"You're hiding something, love" He said softly "If I had to guess, I would say since around breakfast two days ago, maybe a little before then" Luna lowered her eyes to the floor "And I am guessing that you didn't tell me, or anyone else, because you wanted us to enjoy tonight without the worry of whatever it is?"

"That plan worked out well" Luna said with a laugh, then she took a deep breath "Dumbledore has a plan to kidnap both of us before the end of the night. We will be portkeyed out of here and dumped at his cottage" She looked around "Given the general hustle and bustle around here, I think they are counting on our absence not being noticed for a little while, or our magical signatures being very hard to track"

"Hermione will know the moment we are gone" Harry replied flatly "So will Neville, Sally and Angela - they won't even miss us for a moment" Luna looked around, noting that all four of their friends were occasionally glancing at them while watching The Champions dancing "But even if they aren't going to not miss us because we aren't going anywhere" Luna quirked an eyebrow at him "You wouldn't have not told us if you didn't have a plan"

"Are you aware of how many double negatives you just used?" She asked.

"Don't change the subject" He gave her a quick grin.

"Yes, my sweet, I have a plan" She replied "But if I tell you what Dumbledore's plan is, and what my plan is, then you will be on guard for it and it might interfere with it" She took his hand "I know exactly what is going to happen, and when, and any interference from anyone may cause problems" Harry gazed at her, then nodded.

"Okay, but I want you to promise me something right here, right now and make it a serious promise" He said softly "If you see the plan is going to fail, make sure we go together. I don't want you facing Dumbledore alone"

"I promise" She said, then kissed him "But don't worry, we will have the whole evening, or least the next ninety seven minutes" Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything the music stopped and everyone burst into applause. 

"Thank to our Champions" Fudge announced "And now, let The Ball commence!" 

xoxox

Ginny looked over at Harry and Hermione dancing, laughing with each other as they moved around the floor. Glancing down at the present on the table in front of her, she stood up.

"Excuse me Dean" She said, then picked up the present and walked towards where Harry and Hermione where twirling around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna and Neville moving towards them, but paid them no attention. 

xoxox

Cedric saw Ginny walking towards Harry and Hermione, so he picked up the present from his table and walked over to the dancing couples. 

xoxox

Luna allowed herself to be span round by Neville, then realised that the arrangement of people in The Great Hall was the same as one she had seen before - almost a dozen times before in visions of the future stretching back nearly a week. 

Without making it obvious, she began to guide Neville towards Harry and Hermione while still dancing around. Gliding through the couples, she lead Neville closer and closer until they were dancing side by side with their friends. 

xoxox

"Harry?"

xoxox

"Luna?"

xoxox

As Ginny and Cedric approached them from either side, Luna allowed Neville to spin her so that she and Harry were side by side.

A moment later, Cedric reached out to her, and Ginny reached out to Harry. Under the cover of pretending to look over at Cedric, Luna lost her balance and tripped. Pulling Neville down with her, she crashed into Harry and Hermione and knocked them to the floor as well. 

xoxox

"This is for you, Harry"

"This is for you, Luna"

xoxox

From the mass of tangled limbs on the floor, Harry, Hermione, Luna and Neville watched as Ginny and Cedric vanished in a swirl of light. 

"OH MY GOD!" Lavender screamed, causing everyone to turn and stare at her "Ginny and Cedric just vanished!!" 

xoxox

"Remus, Sirius - you need to go to The Great Hall now" Pomona strode into the grand ballroom "I'll stay with Filius and keep an eye on the kids"

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, already getting to his feet.

"Cedric and Ginny have disappeared, and it seems there is a suspicion they were trying to give presents to Harry and Luna" Pomona paused "Severus suspects they were trying to kidnap them" Remus and Sirius exchanged glances, then strode out of the ballroom. 

xoxox

Five minutes later they walked into the antechamber to find the six friends along with Cho, Dean and Lavender sat talking to Severus, Fudge, Amelia and Tonks. 

"Director - you got here quickly" Remus said, then he looked at the children "Are you being questioned?"

"Not officially" Harry shook his head "They aren't trying to take advantage of us"

"Just checking" Sirius smiled, then looked across at Amelia "As someone who has had experience of how intense The DMLE can be, I want to make sure my children are not going to be next" Amelia stared back at him.

"While I understand your caution, Mister Black, I can assure you that we are just here to find out where Mister Diggory and Miss Weasley may have gone" She said "Because someone who can create a portkey that can pass through the wards at Hogwarts is not just a threat to the two children that are missing, but also to the entire school"

"You really have to ask?" Sirius asked in surprise "You really don't know who is behind this?"

"We, of course, have our suspicions, Mister Black" Amelia said calmly "However if we limit ourselves to a single line of inquiry then we might miss other suspects"

"Pffft" Sirius shook his head "Dumbledore held my son and my niece prisoner for years, then he was happy to let Dementors eat them when he couldn't take them prisoner again" He took a couple of steps towards her, but stopped when both Tonks and Remus stood in his way "And now the son and daughter of his most trusted and loyal Order members just happen to vanish using portkeys that can bypass the most powerful and best wards in the country?" He stared at her defiantly "Tell me another story that makes sense, Director" Amelia stared back at him, then looked at Luna and Harry.

"Mister Black, Miss Lovegood - you said that Mister Diggory and Miss Weasley were carrying presents?" She asked.

"Yes, Director" Luna replied, and Harry nodded.

"Did the presents vanish with them?" 

"Yes, Director" Luna said again.

"And you are sure they were going to give them to you two?" 

"Yes, Director" Hermione interrupted "Ginny held it out and said 'This is for you, Harry'" He paused "Who else was she going to give it to?"

"And Cedric said the same thing" Neville added "He was going to hand the present to Luna before she tripped and fell over" He looked at Luna, who blushed.

"I was turning to see what Cedric wanted, and my feet got caught up in themselves" She admitted "I knocked Neville over, and we fell into Harry and Hermione" She looked over at them "Sorry" Hermione shrugged.

"You probably saved us from being kidnapped and dumped in Dumbledore's lap" She said with a smile "I say we owe you one" Luna laughed.

"I'll be sure to check my Christmas stocking then" She smiled, then looked back at Amelia "Look, Director, we've told you everything we know. Those two tried to portkey Harry and me away, and as my Uncle Sirius has pointed out there are only three people in the world who could create portkeys that can break through Hogwarts wards" She stood up "One of them is stood next to you, and the other two are currently on the run and wanted for high crimes and treason" She turned back to her friends and family "I think we are done here"

"Miss Lovegood....." Amelia started, but Sirius turned to her.

"Director" He started, then took a breath before continuing "I am sorry to do this, because it is not something I am proud of, but I am pulling rank, so to speak. If you want to question my children any more, then I am afraid you will need to make it an official interrogation, at The Ministry, with their parents" 

"Mr Black....."

"Director - this is the second time Dumbledore has tried to kidnap my son, and the second time he has tried to put my daughter in a cage" Sirius stared levelly at her "They have answered your questions and now I am going to take them home"

"Sirius......." Severus started, but both Sirius and Remus turned to stare at him.

"Severus, with all due respect, stay out of this" Remus said flatly "It's Christmas Eve, and we are taking the children home to....... we are taking them home. We will let their parents know, but we are taking them home tonight" Severus stared at him for a moment.

"I suppose asking if you have parental permission is pointless?"

"You can either assume that all of the parents have permission to speak for all of the children, or you can challenge that assumption and we will have all the parents here before the dust will settle" Sirius grinned "And do you really want to piss us off after the night we have had?" Severus stared at him for a moment longer, then shrugged.

"Take them" He said after a moment "I will open up the floo in my office so you can go directly home from there" 

"Thank you" Remus smiled. 

"I live to make you happy" Severus said in a deadpan voice before turning to the rest of the adults "Minister, Director, Auror - if you would like to come with me I can escort you back to the gates so you can return to The Ministry"

"Thank you, Headmaster" Fudge nodded.

"Mister Thomas, Miss Brown, Miss Chang - please keep the events of tonight to yourself until further notice" Severus continued "I especially do not want to hear any speculation about Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall or anyone else. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir" The three students said at once, then Cho continued "Do you think Cedric is safe, sir?"

"I am sure we will find out soon enough, Miss Chang" Severus said, glancing at Amelia "But for now, please return to The Ball, or your common rooms, and do not discuss this until further notice"

xoxox

Xeno looked up as the floo at Grimmauld Place flared into life, then got to his feet as Luna stepped out of the flames. 

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" He asked, pulling his daughter into a hug, then looked over her shoulder as Hermione, Harry, Sally, Neville and Angela emerged from the floo, followed by Remus and Sirius. 

"Depending on your point of view, I either put my life and Harry's life in danger, or I set up Ginny and Cedric to completely screw up a mission from Dumbledore" Luna said with an amused smile. Her father straightened up, then looked over at Sirius.

"Dumbledore sent the Weasley girl and the Diggory heir a portkey each" Sirius said "They attempted to use them to kidnap our kids, but our daughter being the wonderful young woman she is managed to get them to hand their portkeys to each other" Xeno laughed, then hugged his daughter again.

"After Director Bones gave them a cursory interview, which both Sirius and I were at, Severus gave us permission to bring them home early" Remus continued the story "I realise that we should have asked you, and the other parents, but if Dumbledore can get to them in Hogwarts, then I wanted to make sure they were out of there as soon as possible"

"I can see why" Xeno nodded "And thank you"

"You would have done the same thing" Sirius shrugged, then looked at the children "So - do you want me to get the rest of your parents here, or do you want to go home?"

"If you don't mind, Uncle Sirius, I think we'd all prefer to stay here tonight" Angela said, and the other three nodded.

"Dumbledore has almost certainly learned that his plan has gone a little..... catawumpus" Hermione said "And he is almost certainly not going to be happy"

"The wards here are second to none" Neville added "So for at least tonight, we'd prefer to stay here, because we know Dumbledore won't be able to get to us" Sirius looked across at Xeno, who shrugged.

"The more the merrier" He said with a grin "I'll call the others"

xoxox

The following morning, Sirius woke up when the wards started shrieking. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his wand and ran on to the first floor landing, where the other parents and children were emerging from the bedrooms, also holding their wands.

"Someone is trying to access the front garden" He said "Frank, Alice, Damian - can you come with me? Everyone else, stay here and protect the kids"

"You don't need to" Luna said. 

"I know you think you can take care of yourself....."

"I mean you don't need to protect us from the person at the front door" Luna cut him off "I am fairly sure it is Amelia and Tonks, with news that you are definitely going to want to hear" Sirius stared at her for a moment, then gave a brief nod.

"Alice, Damian - if you can come with me, just on the off chance that our seer's visions are on the fritz?" He asked "If the rest of you would like to get dressed and meet us in the dining room, we will talk to the Director there"

"Yes sir!" Luna snapped off a salute, and Sirius stuck his tongue out at her, making her laugh.

xoxox

"Director" Sirius gave a polite nod "I apologise for the less than polite greeting, but after last night you can understand why we would be on edge?"

"Of course" Amelia replied "And I can't imagine why you would think getting knocked back onto our arses would make us feel unwanted"

"I have never felt more loved" Tonks added.

"Last night Dumbledore tried to kidnap two of our children out of school" Alice said calmly, wand in her hand "The wards ensure no one gets through unless we know who they are" 

"And now that you know who we are, will you let us in?" Tonks asked "Because I think you are going to hear what we want to say" Sirius looked at Alice and Damian, then he drew a shape in the air.

"Walk up the path. Do not draw your wands and do not stray from the path. If you do, you will find yourself in the boating lake in Hyde Park" He said calmly "Which will be very hard to explain to the crowds that are probably there right now"

xoxox

Ten minutes later, Amelia and Tonks were sat at the end of the dining table, while the rest of the group sat along either side of it. Sirius and Luna sat at the head of the table, staring down the length of it.

"So Amelia, Tonks - tell us what you know"

"Severus summoned us to Hogwarts at eight thirty this morning" Tonks said "Cedric Diggory and Ginny Weasley turned up at the main gates of the school, asking to speak to the Headmaster. They told him that they had been portkeyed to a remote cabin somewhere in a ring of mountains, where Dumbledore and Moody were waiting for them. Dumbledore was quite surprised to see them and ranted at them a little bit" She paused "He asked them what happened, and apparently when they told him that Luna and Neville had tripped, he seemed very interested"

"Colour me surprised" Luna said with a smile.

"He apparently kept them there all night, then sent them back to Hogsmeade in the morning" Amelia finished "They returned to Hogwarts at once, which is where we come in" She took a deep breath "Both of them confessed that they got the portkeys from their parents, along with letters telling them exactly how the portkeys should be delivered. They handed the letters over to me, with signed confessions"

"We are pretty sure that Ginny didn't know what would happen, but that her mother told her it was a way to get her closer to Harry" Tonks looked at him "She has a bit of a crush on you"

"I am aware" Harry said. 

"Cedric had a slightly better idea, but was still not completely clear about what Dumbledore and Moody were going to do" Amelia continued "His father had been talking to him about Luna being a bad influence, and Harry needs to be under the influence of someone more...... traditional than his current guardian" She paused, then looked at Sirius "No offence"

"None taken" Sirius grinned "Because I have a feeling you aren't quite done yet"

"After we had their signed confession, and asked Severus to lock down the owlry, I returned to The Ministry" Amelia paused and took a deep breath "I then dispatched four fully armed and armoured Auror Squads to Ottery St Catchpole" 

There was a moment of stunned silence in the dining room, then Frank let out a low whistle.

"You arrested them?" He asked.

"We caught them completely unawares" She nodded "Molly and Arthur were taken from The Burrow, and Amos from his home, all three without a fight. They are currently in Ministry holding cells, on pending the filing of formal charges. However we have already had one round of interviews and we know they have met with Dumbledore and McGonagall at least three or four times, that they were the ones who gave the portkeys to their children and that they know full well what would happen when those portkeys were given to Harry and Luna"

"You arrested a member of The Wizengamot and a member of The Ministry?" Faith stared at Amelia, still sounding surprised.

"Along with Kingsley Shacklebolt" Tonks said sadly "He was supposedly working undercover for us, but after failing to inform us of this plot, he was questioned and his true motives, and his true colours, became clear"

"I'm sorry, I am still stuck on the fact you arrested a member of The Wizengamot" Faith shook her head "Fudge didn't complain? The other members of The Wizengamot didn't complain?"

"They don't know yet" Amelia shrugged "We carried out these arrests quickly and quietly - only Tonks, Hestia Jones and now you know I have the four of them in custody" She paused "No doubt the news will leak at some point, but the fact they have all confessed to working with two known fugitives and are implicated in the attempted kidnapping of two students, one of whom is the heir to The House of Black, probably means they will not get a lot of support from the rest of their peers" She paused, then glanced at Tonks "Auror Tonks, can you excuse us for a moment?" Tonks blinked in surprise, then stood up and walked out of the dining room. 

"Mister Black, can you....." Amelia gestured at the door. Sirius looked at her for a moment, then waved his hand, closing the door and sealing it. A moment later, Xeno drew his wand and raised a silencing wand.

"I take it this is because Kingsley knows about me and Tonks doesn't?" Luna asked "And now that he has become a liability, there is every possibility that my future is in danger?"

"Pretty much" Amelia nodded "I am sorry that this has happened - Auror Shacklebolt was one of my most trusted....." She trailed off as Luna raised a hand.

"Director, don't worry about it" Luna said calmly "There was always a chance this would happen, and because Dumbledore didn't see these arrests coming, he didn't have time to break Kingsley's oath so it will still bind him" She paused "However I have a favour to ask of you" 

"You want me to obliviate his memory of your ability?" Amelia asked, and Luna nodded.

"I realise this will possibly cause some problems, because it means it will be almost impossible to bring him to trial, but......"

"But we can't bring him to trial anyway" Amelia pointed out "At least not if he is going to testify about anything to do with you" She blinked "Which does beg the question what we are going to do with Dumbledore and McGonagall when we find them" She shrugged "We'll cross that bridge" 

"So you can do it?" Sirius asked, and Amelia nodded.

"Once we have questioned him and got all the information we can, I will ensure his memories of your gift are gone" She paused "I promise I will protect you, Miss Lovegood" Luna smiled back at her.

"Thank you" She paused, then smiled "We should probably let Tonks back in now, before she gets any more paranoid"


	13. A Unified Front

Harry and Luna flew over The Underland on the backs of Nirnaeth and Sir Hugsalot, heading towards a cave on the edge of the ocean. The other four had already flown there, but Harry and Luna had had to pick up a few things at Nargothrond first. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Harry asked as they started to descend towards the cave.

"While seeing things in The Underland is less clear than in The Dreamland and the real world, I am fairly sure we aren't going to get eaten by a giant greasy monster if that's what you mean" Luna smiled across at him, then they both flew their mounts down to the ground to join the rest of the group.

"Good evening, Mister Black" Hermione smiled, then looked at Luna "Madame Regent"

"Faithful minion" Luna grinned back, then looked at the others "So, if we are going to launch future attacks on The Lone Islands and the realms beyond The Sundering Seas, we are going to need a base closer to the ocean than Nargothrond" She gestured to cave that was nearby "I've done a bit of research, and the cave is cut off from the rest of the network of caves and tunnels, and it is quite large. And with a bit of work we can seal it off so no creatures can ransack it while we are away"

"And you think it will make a good base?" Neville asked, looking warily at the cave.

"It's pretty big, and we can sculpt some of the rocks using the stuff I've brought from Nargothrond into tables and such" Luna nodded "I think that unless we find a version of Hogwarts or something like that, it's the best we'll get" She looked around "But first we have to see if the cave is empty" She gestured to the bag she had brought with her from the hospital "I brought swords, bows and arrows and other assorted weapons. Lets go"

xoxox

"I'm not convinced about this" Faith looked at the assembled parents who had gathered in the ballroom of Cair Paravel "I know we are used to trusting Luna, and that she has rarely, if ever, steered us wrong, but this is a pretty big thing to be discussing"

"You've seen her gift work before" Frank pointed out "Alice and I wouldn't be standing here if it didn't" He shrugged "And from what I understand, her gift has been getting exponentially more powerful since then" 

"But there are limits to it" Faith persisted "She has said so herself" She looked at Sirius and Xeno "What if this is one of those times where she isn't seeing everything? Or that the limits are making her miss something important?"

"I think that is a chance we will have to take" Xeno said quietly "In two days time we send our children back to school, and although Severus, Filius and Sirius have adjusted the wards to prevent Dumbledore from making any more portkeys, our kids are still going to be open and vulnerable again" He took a deep breath "And unless all of us somehow get jobs at Hogwarts, I don't see any way that we can protect them"

"But does that mean we have to leave everything in Luna's hands?" Faith asked.

"Can I show you something?" Sirius asked "Well - two things" He paused "Last year, when we were on the run, and hiding in a cave outside Hogsmeade, Luna and Harry snuck out to see us. During that excursion, Luna walked down the grand staircase from top to bottom with her eyes closed. Harry showed me a memory of it" 

He waved his hand, and an image of Luna standing at the top of the grand staircase appeared. For the next few minutes, the entire group watched in silence as she first closed her eyes, then navigated the ever moving, ever shifting staircase flawlessly without missing a step or hesitating for even a split second. 

When the memory had finished, the image vanished and Sirius looked back at the rest of the parents.

"Later that year, after Frank and Alice were rescued, Dumbledore and McGonagall were ousted and Severus was installed as Headmaster, the dementors swarmed our children" He continued "You all know about this, but hearing about it, and seeing what Luna did are two very different things" He waved his hand again, and this time the image that appeared at the end of the ballroom was of the grounds of Hogwarts, and of Harry and Hermione being swarmed by dementors.

"I have combined three memories here" Sirius explained "You are seeing Luna's perspective of the issue, but you are hearing Hermione and Harry's thoughts as Luna directs them"

"Luna can use telepathy?" Jessica asked in surprise.

"The children have spent so much time in The Dreamland it has forged a sort of bond" Xeno said "They can't read each other's minds, however during times of need they can talk to each other silently"

"I couldn't have said it better myself" Sirius smiled, then he directed to their attention to the image. They heard Luna's voice directing Harry and Hermione to cast a plethora of patronuses, repelling the horde of dementors, until the foul creatures were driven back when the reinforcements came charging across the grounds.

Once again, Sirius waved his hand, causing the image to fade.

"Faith, Damian, I know that it seems odd we are putting all our eggs into Luna's basket" He said calmly "But she can walk down the grand staircase with her eyes closed, drive off the largest dementor horde in history and just over a week ago she foiled a kidnapping attempt that no one else knew was coming" He paused "I am not suggesting we don't help, but I don't think that I am overstating it to say that her gift has progressed to the point where there is nothing she cannot see"

xoxox

"I can't see anything!" Luna said.

"That's because it's dark in here, and we accidentally triggered a cave in" Hermione replied from beside her "Harry and Neville are working on getting us out, but for the moment we are just going to have to sit here and wait"

"We can't do anything from this side?" Luna asked.

"Not without collapsing the roof on top of us" Hermione said, and Luna thought she was shaking her head "Which would either kill us and wake us up - and admittedly get us out - or would bury us and leaves us slightly less comfortable than we are now" She paused "I vote for waiting, by the way"

"Makes sense" Luna sighed "So, what do you think of the Valentine's Day Plan?"

"Does it really matter?" Hermione asked after a minute or so of silence.

"Of course it does" Luna said, sounding slightly surprised "Why would you think it doesn't?"

"Because we have all accepted and acknowledged you as our leader, and it will be you and Harry who are putting your lives on the line, along with the two Champions, so I am not sure why our opinions would matter" Hermione explained. Luna stayed silent for a few more minutes, then slipped her hand into Hermione's.

"Do you all feel like this?" She asked quietly "I mean you, Neville, Angela and Sally?"

"I can't speak for the girls, but Neville and I have talked about it, yes" Hermione replied.

"Oh dear" Luna sighed "I never wanted you - any of you - to feel like that" She paused "While I admit that I have sometimes been leaving the parents out of the planning and plotting and general scheming, you five have ALWAYS been my friends and I owe you my life several times over, and I never wanted to make you feel left out" 

"We don't, usually" Hermione said "But you and Harry seem so set on this plan that neither Neville or I thought we'd be able to talk you out of it" She paused "Am I wrong?"

"If you think we are truly wrong, or making a serious mistake, we will listen to your concerns" Luna said "I know that I act like I know everything and I see everything, but I am younger than all five of you, and sometimes I think you forget I am just a scared child trying to do the best she can" She pulled Hermione into a hug "I am so worried I'm going to lead you all to your death, you have no idea" Hermione stroked her hair, then they both looked round as the wall of stones collapsed next to them and beams of light started streaming in. 

"Hello, love" Neville said, then he blinked in surprise "Did we miss something?"

xoxox 

An hour later, Angela and Sally lead the group back into Cair Paravel and through to the ballroom, where the adults were still talking.

"May I have your attention, please?" Angela said, looking at the assembled parents.

"What is it, sweetie?" Alice asked.

"We've been talking, and....." Angela started, but Luna raised her hand and Angela fell silent. 

"It has been pointed out to me that I have given the impression that Harry and I have been running roughshod over everyone else here, and that we are not taking your feelings into account" Luna said in a quiet voice "And the truth is we have, although if I am being completely honest, Harry tends to give into me a lot more than I give into him" She glanced at her boyfriend, who simply nodded.

"While it is true I can see a lot, and because of that I do tend to take a lead in planning what we are going to do in the war against Tom and our fight against Dumbledore, I don't want to become someone who no one questions" She looked around at everyone else "No one questioned Dumbledore, and he left Harry to be eaten by Dementors. No one questioned Tom, and he murdered Harry's parents and tried to conquer the country. No one questioned Grindelwald and he started World War Two and caused a genocide that left twenty one MILLION dead" She paused "I would really prefer not to be the next person in that progression" She walked to the front of the ballroom and flopped down into King Peter's chair, then she stood up and smiled apologetically.

"And I realised sitting in The High King's Chair might not be the best way to demonstrate I don't want to be an unchallenged leader" She said ruefully "But never the less....." She sat down again "I do not want anyone to think I don't want your suggestions, comments or questions. We are all in this together, so anyone who has anything to say about anything should always feel free to say it" She looked around again "If you don't want to say it in a group, you can talk to me, or talk to Harry, in private - we're always ready to listen" 

"With that in mind" Angela said "We are going to go through the whole of the Valentine's Day Plan again, from start to finish" She waved her hand, and a large table appeared in the centre of the dance floor "Anyone who has anything to say can say it now. The entire plan is up for discussion" 

"Okay" Sirius nodded, and everyone moved to sit round the table "Miss Longbottom - I believe this is your show"

xoxox

**WIZENGAMOT MEMBER IMPRISONED! HOUSEWIFE IMPRISONED**

_DMLE ACCUSED OF RUNNING AMOK_   
_FINES SET TO BANKRUPT TWO NOBLE FAMILIES_   
_WIZENGAMOT DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM MINISTER, DMLE_

In a startling, some would say disturbing, turn of events today, Amos Diggory - a respected and honoured member of The Wizengamot - and Molly Weasley - a well known and respected name in British magical society - were sentenced to six months in a Ministry holding facility for their part in an alleged plot to kidnap Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. 

Despite the plot failing - Lovegood and Potter were not harmed in the attempt - the Justices of The Wizengamot were swayed by the testimony of Amelia Bones (a close friend of the Lovegoods) and Sirius Black, and apparent confessions from the children of Mrs Weasley and Mister Diggory. 

In addition, excessive, some might say crippling, fines were imposed on both Mister Diggory and Mrs Weasley, as well as two other figures allegedly involved in the conspiracy - Mrs Weasley's husband Arthur and a senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. Finally, the three men were all dismissed from their positions (at The Wizengamot, Ministry and DMLE respectively). 

While we at The Prophet have always been strong supporters of law, order and justice we find this treatment of some of the leading lights of our country to be beyond comprehension. The severity of the punishments for what appear to be relatively minor crimes is almost unprecedented and unheard of - harking back to the days of corrupt Ministers and easily bribed Justices. 

Whether these unprecedented punishments have any connection to Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom reclaiming their seats on The Wizengamot, and their close personal relationships with Xenophillius Lovegood and his daughter, is not for us to speculate, but we believe that, for the good of our society, The Wizengamot and The Ministry should investigate these judgements with all due haste before our entire judicial system falls into disrepute and becomes the laughing stock of the world.

xoxox

**DUMBLEDORE CONSPIRACY UNMASKED!**

_Kidnap attempt orchestrated by disgraced Headmaster_   
_Jail for conspirators who planned to hand over children to Dumbledore, McGonagall_   
_Auror, Ministry Employee Dismissed_

In a story that will surely shock the nation, The Quibbler can now reveal the full story that started at The Yule Ball and ended this morning with Amos Diggory and Molly Weasley being sent to jail for six months each.

On the night of The Yule Ball, Mister Diggory and Mrs Weasley directed their children (Cedric, aged seventeen, and Ginevra, aged 13) to give a portkey each to Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. These portkeys, once triggered, would send the intended children to a secret location where they would have been met and imprisoned by Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Alastor Moody. 

Luckily for the two children in question, the portkeys did not reach their intended target, and instead Miss Weasley and Master Diggory were transported to the would-be prison to face Dumbledore and his cohorts. Having no use for the two victims he received, he returned them the day after, where they went straight to Headmaster Severus Snape and made a full confession. 

Later that day, they made a further confession before The Director of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones where they claimed to have no knowledge of the plot they were involved in. The evidence to support this confession was, according to The Director, quite compelling, and we at The Quibbler believe they were used as hapless pawns by their scheming parents. 

The former Headmaster - wanted on charges of false imprisonment, running an illegal prison and being a fugitive from justice (to name but a few) - had apparently been planning this for some time, and had been in regular communication with Mrs Weasley, her husband Arthur, Mister Diggory and a Ministry Auror named Kingsley Shacklebolt. 

Because of this communication, and their direct complicity in the plot to kidnap two children from Hogwarts (one of whom is the Heir to The Noble and Ancient House of Black), the Justices had no hesitation in sending Molly Weasley and Amos Diggory to prison (in a Ministry Holding Facility, rather than Azkaban), and applying fines running to several thousand galleons in total. In addition, because all four conspirators now have criminal records, Mister Diggory, Mister Weasley and Mister Shacklebolt were all dismissed from their jobs. 

While it is unusual for a member of The Wizengamot to be sent to prison, and for such large fines to be applied for a crime that was, ultimately, unsuccessful, it should be pointed out that all four people involved in the conspiracy have been in regular contact with a wanted criminal who not only fled from The DMLE but also broke out another criminal from DMLE custody less than a day after her arrest, and at no time did any of them attempt to report the location or plans of the two wanted criminals. 

Neither did they attempt to prevent the kidnapping of two children, and their transport to an unplottable and secret location where it would have been almost impossible to rescue them. 

With all this to consider, The Quibbler has no hesitation in supporting the action of the Justices, and hope that The DMLE will take every step necessary to finding the three fugitives.

xoxox

"Welcome back" Sophithea smiled as Angela and Sally walked through the gates of Hogwarts. 

"Thank you" Angela bounded over and pulled her into a hug "Happy new year!" 

"And you too" Sophithea smiled, then - as Angela let her go and Sally gave her a warm smile - she asked "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"Yes, thank you" Sally grinned "And sorry we didn't get a chance to say good bye on the night of The Ball, but as you probably saw, our departure was somewhat...... abrupt"

"We did notice" Sophithea smirked "Tara says thank you, by the way. We spent Christmas week together, but she had to go home" She paused "Thank you - both of you and everyone - for setting it up. It was wonderful to see her again"

"You are our friend" Angela said simply "And we wanted to ensure you enjoyed The Ball with your girlfriend" They turned and started walking back to the castle. 

"Are your friends coming back?" Sophithea asked as they passed into The Entrance Hall.

"Hermione and Neville were just behind us, but are going down to talk to Hagrid before they come in" Sally said "Because of what happened at The Ball, our parents have asked Director Bones and Auror Tonks to do a complete scan of the wards before Harry and Luna are allowed back on the grounds"

"And the Headmaster agreed?" Sophithea stared at them in surprise "I thought that Hogwarts was an independent body? That The Ministry was not permitted to interfere?"

"It is, but if the Headmaster gives his permission, it is not interference" Sally smiled "And right now, it is not an exaggeration to say that Harry, Luna, Sirius and Xeno hold all the cards" She paused "Once the wards have been checked to ensure that Dumbledore cannot get inside them again, Harry and Luna will be back"

"And it doesn't hurt that if Luna and especially Harry don't return to Hogwarts, the outcry would be enormous" Angela added "Meaning whoever is responsible would be crucified" 

"Blackmail and self-interest" Sophithea laughed "Always the best combination"

xoxox

Severus looked across his desk at Amelia and Tonks.

"So, do I pass, Director?" He asked with a calm expression. 

"Yes, Headmaster" Amelia nodded "The wards appear to have had Dumbeldore's signature removed, and McGonagall's" She paused "However, I would like to make one suggestion, just in regard to the safety of these six students"

"Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like this?" Severus leaned forward "So what is the suggestion, Director?"

"Portkeys carry a trace of the magical signatures of the people using them" Amelia said "Would it be possible to adjust the wards to reject any portkeys that have the signatures of these six children that do not also contain the signatures of at least two of their parents?" Severus tilted his head to one side, looking interested.

"It would be challenge, but I believe it would be possible, yes" He paused "I assume you are working on the assumption that any portkey that is trying to transport them somewhere that doesn't have the signature of their parents is probably nefarious in nature?"

"Yes" Amelia said "And if we have two of the parents traces, either embedded or two of the parents touching it, there are good odds that the children are going willingly" She paused "How long would it take to add the check into the wards?"

"I can probably have it added to the ground wards by the end of the day" Severus closed his eyes "For the individual common rooms and the communal areas inside the school, it might take two or three weeks" 

"Then proceed with the ground wards, and carry out the rest of the wards as and when you can" Amelia smiled "I will let Sirius and Xeno know, and the last of your wayward flock should return before nightfall"

"My cup overfloweth" Severus replied in a deadpan tone, then smiled "I will see to the ward update right away" He stood up "Have you made any further progress in locating Albus' cabin?"

"Sadly, no" Amelia shook her head "Molly, Arthur, Amos and Kingsley were all transported there and back by single use portkeys - portkeys that once the were done became magically inert"

"So that you couldn't trace where they had been?"

"The portkeys he used on Cedric and Ginny were the same" Tonks added "Once they were returned here, the portkeys might as well have been a lump of rock" She sighed "After they were convicted of aiding and abetting two known fugitives, not to mention attempting to kidnap two children, we interrogated them with veritaserum and pulled out a lot of details about the layout of the cabin, and its location relative to various mountains and landmarks nearby, but all that does is give us a vague idea of where it is"

"So our best hope is he tries to kidnap someone again and we can follow the portkey" Amelia said, then shook her head "I really cannot believe it has come to this" 

"Albus was the best wizard of his generation, and his obsession with Potter and Lovegood goes to the fall of Godric's Hollow" Severus paused "He has had a long time to arrange his contingency plans, so I don't think we will be finding him any time soon"

"Somehow, I think you are right" Amelia and Tonks both stood up "We will go and talk to Sirius and Xeno now, and, as I said, Harry and Luna should come back before the end of the day"

xoxox

Harry and Luna walked into The Great Hall to find everyone staring at them. 

"A man walks into a bar, and breaks his nose, because it was an iron bar" Luna said, then sighed when no one laughed.

"A witch walked down the street and turns into a pub" Harry said, then looked at his girlfriend when he got the same response "Yeah, looks like we are going to have to keep our day jobs"

"Mister Black, Miss Lovegood" Severus stood up behind the staff table "While it is good to see you back, and nice to see that Professor Dumbledore did not succeed in kidnapping you over Christmas, perhaps I could persuade you to take your seats as I believe you are interrupting your schoolmates' evening meals" 

"Our apologies, Headmaster" Luna replied "Feel free to go about your business" She took Harry's hand and walked over to the end of the Hufflepuff table and took their seats. They started serving themselves dinner, then looked up as Cedric and Ginny both walked over to them.

"Put your hands in the air, and stay at least two feet away from them" A voice came from behind them, and Luna looked over her shoulder to see Angela and Neville pointing their wands at the two newcomers.

"LONGBOTTOM!" Severus had jumped to his feet again, and was storming down the centre aisle towards the confrontation, followed closely by Sirius, Remus and Pomona.

"Sorry, Headmaster, but the last time these two came close to my friends, they tried to kidnap them" Neville said, eyes never leaving Cedric and Ginny and his hand not moving an inch. The two students in question both put their arms out to their sides and took a few steps back. 

"Neville, Angela" Sirius walked round the table and stood in front of them "Harry and Luna are perfectly safe, and while I, and they, are grateful, you can lower your wands" Angela stared at him for a moment, then lowered her wand. Neville followed suit a few seconds later.

"Thank you" Sirius said "Now you can go back to your tea, and I am sure the Headmaster won't say anything more about it" 

"Of course not" Severus replied, then looked over at Cedric and Ginny "May I ask why you were wanting to talk to your would be victims?" Cedric and Ginny exchanged glances, then looked at Luna and Harry.

"We wanted to talk to you in private, about what we did and what our parents did" Cedric said "We wanted to apologise and explain our role" The three teachers looked at Harry and Luna.

"After dinner" Harry said "In the room where you held the Christmas party for the first three years" He paused "I promise on the honour of The House of Black you won't be harmed, but I am going to have to ask you turn over your wands to Sirius before you come into the room" Cedric and Ginny both nodded "Very well - the six of us, and Sirius and Remus, will see you there"

"I thought....." Ginny started, but Harry held up his hand.

"Miss Weasley, whatever you can say to me, you can say to my friends. And even if you insist on speaking to Luna and me in private, I am going to tell my friends whatever you tell me as soon I get the chance" He paused "I have no secrets from them, they have no secrets from me" He stared at her with a calm expression "So what's it to be?"

xoxox

Sirius walked into the ballroom only to find it had been turned in to a replica of the dining room at Grimmauld Place. 

"Nice" He said, looking around approvingly "But I don't want people knowing where I live" He let his mind drift back to a film he had watched over the holidays "Show me the meeting room we see when Vito comes out of the hospital" He watched in awe as the room started to melt and shift, then re-arranged itself into the room from the movie. 

"Thank you" He looked around the room, then walked down to the far end "We need two seats here, and the option to raise barriers around them if we need to" As he finished speaking two chairs appeared, then a large crystal barrier appeared round the chairs, blocking them off from view. 

"Excellent" Sirius smiled "I want the barrier to appear if I use the word Misthaven, but only if I say it. It can go now" The barrier vanished "Thank you" He looked past the chairs as the door opened and Remus and the six children walked in.

"The Godfather?" Luna asked "Nice" She glanced at the chairs "A barrier?"

"Crystal - it will appear when I say a given word" Sirius replied "So, if you would like to take your seats, I think our guests should be arriving shortly"

"Yes, Father" Luna smiled, then they filed past him and sat around the table with Luna and Harry at the head, Hermione and Neville down one side and Angela and Sally down the other. Remus leaned against the wall, wand in his hand, while Sirius walked over to the door and pulled it open before walking outside.

"So what do you think they are going to say?" Hermione asked. 

"I think it will mostly be what they told The DMLE and The Headmaster" Sally said with a shrug "That they are sorry they tried to hand you over to Dumbledore and McGonagall, and that they really had no idea what Dumbledore really wanted to do to you"

"Do we believe that?" Remus asked.

"Ginny has a crush on Harry and I think Molly played on that" Neville said "And since his mother died, Amos has been a big influence on his son. It's possible Cedric never questioned his father's true motives until they smacked him in the face" He paused "I think we can probably believe what they say. Finding they were used not only by Dumbledore but by their own parents was a bit of a shock to them"

"Okay" Harry nodded "No promises, but Luna and I will give them a fair hearing and decide what to do after that" He paused, then looked up as the door to the room opened and Sirius lead Ginny and Cedric in "We have to find a name for this room, by the way. We can't keep calling it the 'room where we had the Christmas party'"

xoxox

Dumbledore threw his copy of The Quibbler onto the fire, then turned to McGonagall.

"It would seem our plan to deal with Miss Lovegood is going to need some rethinking" He said in a dark voice "She is proving to be a more impressive foe than we had first anticipated" 

"Quite" McGonagall replied, then she paused, as if choosing her words "Albus, is it possible we should reconsider our plans altogether?"

"Minerva?" Dumbledore looked at her in shock.

"Ever since she arrived at school, in fact ever since Mister Potter arrived at school, I would say that we have been on the defensive, having to counter and regroup almost every few weeks" She folded her hands on her lap "You had no intention of letting her come to Hogwarts, and yet she came. You had no intention of letting her visit Mister Potter during the holidays, and yet that happened. Between them they freed Sirius Black and had Peter Pettigrew unmasked and arrested, and then got both of us arrested" She paused "Albus, I think there is a chance that we have grossly underestimated Miss Lovegood's abilities, and that we are over matched and cannot defeat her" Dumbledore stared at her thoughtfully, then slowly shook his head.

"I do understand your concerns, Minerva, however if Miss Lovegood is as powerful, or more powerful than we believe, then it is only more imperative that we stop her - that we bring her down for the good of the wizarding world" He stood up "If you wish to leave - if you wish to leave the country, or turn yourself in, then I will not stand in your way" McGonagall stared back at him.

"I will help in any way I can, Albus, but I still believe we are over matched, and that this will not end well for either of us" 

xoxox

Harry and Luna exchanged glances, then Luna waved her hand and lowered the barrier surrounding Cedric and Ginny. She got to her feet and walked down the length of the table before sitting on the end of it, dangling her feet in the air.

"Ginny, Cedric. We've talked over what you said to us, and come to a decision" She paused "Firstly, we aren't going to do anything in relation to the punishment handed down by Professor Snape. We have nothing to do with discipline in Hogwarts, and although Sirius is a Head of House and a Professor, he is here because he is one of our parents, not as a teacher, and we have been trying very hard not to blur those lines"

"We understand" Cedric said, and Ginny nodded.

"Secondly, while we are willing to accept that you did not know what your parents had planned when they sent you the portkeys, and that you were innocent in that regard, none of us is willing to forgive or forget what you tried to so" She paused "I realise you were both beholden to your parents, but we told Professor Snape when he made a decision that nearly got Blaise Zabini murdered, you were both born with free will - the ability to make your own decisions" She stared at them "If your plan had succeed, I would have killed myself, rather than have spent any time under that man's control, and I know Harry feels the same. This is what you would have been condemning us to with your actions and your choices" She paused "So now you have to live with the consequences of your choices"

"And what are those consequences?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing drastic" Luna said in the same, calm voice she had been using all along "We aren't going to ask you to swear any magical oaths, or any life-long vows. But for all intents and purposes, the two of you will no longer exist for us. We will acknowledge you when we have to, but that will be about the limit of our communications and interactions" She paused "We have no desire to make this a magical request - to demand that you stay away from us - but we ask that you respect our wishes. If you don't then we may have to reconsider the magical request"

"I understand" Cedric said "And I am truly sorry for what I did - I was mislead by my father, I see that - but I am a seventh year student, a grown man and a Tri-Wizard Champion" He paused "You are right, there is really no excuse for what I did" He sighed "I know it is not enough, but I am sorry"

"I am too" Ginny said a few moments later "But my mum has been right my whole life, and she and my dad have always told me what to do" She shrugged "What else was I supposed to think?" 

"That's for you to think about" Luna said "Anyway - that's what we've decided, and that's just the way it's going to be, at least for the near future" She looked at the two students "You can get your wands back from Sirius" She turned her back on them, walked up the room and sat down next to Harry. Cedric and Ginny stood up and turned to Sirius, who escorted them out of the room. 

Once the door closed behind them, Luna got to her feet, vanished the table that they were sat around and walked to the middle of the group.

"Guys, meeting tonight in Cair Paravel" She said, an excited look on her face "I have an idea, but I want to run it past everyone because it is one of the craziest ideas I have ever had" She looked over at Remus and Sirius, who had just walked back into the room "Everyone"

"I'll make sure they understand" Remus nodded "Can I give them a preview?"

"I want to unleash an army of goats on Dumbledore and McGonagall" Luna said, making Remus laugh.

"You could just say no, you know" 

"I know" Luna grinned "But what fun would that be?"

xoxox

Luna faded into the ballroom of Cair Paravel, and walked to the centre of the room. The rest of the group, parents and children alike, were gathered there, and she took a deep breath before turning to face them. 

"I know that we already agreed on a plan for the final task, and that I was the one who suggested it" She said "But after our meeting with Cedric and Ginny, I think we should modify it slightly"

"How?" Damian asked. 

"In five weeks time it will be the Valentine's Day weekend" Luna said "At that point we were going to talk to two of the three Champions" She paused "What I am suggesting is that we still go ahead with that, but that we include Cedric as well" Her statement was greeted with stunned silence. She let it continue for a few minutes, then rolled her eyes "Someone will have to say something eventually"

"Cedric?" Xeno said.

"Yes" Luna nodded.

"The boy who tried to send you to Dumbledore?" 

"Yes"

"Huh" Xeno stared at her "I take it you have a good reason?"

"Oh yes" Luna grinned.

"Then lets hear it, and we'll tell you whether you are as loony as you sound" Xeno grinned at his daughter. 

"Challenge accepted" Luna grinned back "So her's what I am thinking......"


	14. Dinner Dates and Deception

**Houses of Black, Lovegood and Longbottom continue assault on democracy**

_Quibbler Editor publishes false stories attacking wizarding heroes_   
_Black conspires with Ministry to take over Hogwarts_   
_Black, Lovegood and Longbottom Heirs shun British society for Foreign Champions_

Hermione looked at the front page of The Daily Prophet, then smiled as Neville sat down next to her. 

"Good morning, sweetheart" She said "Are you looking forward to another morning of destroying democracy and shunning British society?" She asked. Neville stared at her in confusion for a few moments, then she turned the paper towards him so he could see the headlines on the front page. He glanced down at it, then smiled.

"Why of course" He grinned "What else is a growing boy to do on a fine weekend like this?" He paused, then he reached into his robes and pulled out a red rose "Happy Valentines Day, my love" He gave her a soft kiss, and she blushed. 

"Thank you, sweetie" She said, smiling. 

"Lunch at The Three Broomsticks?" He said "Assuming nothing comes up in the tween time?"

"Some day I hope we can make plans without that proviso, but yes, my dear, I would be happy to have lunch with you" She looked around "No one else awake yet?"

"Harry, Luna and Angela were up late - so to speak - finalising plans, and Sally is waiting for Angela" He paused "I think they are still planning on lunch with our...... friends" 

"Hmmmmmm" Hermione nodded.

"You don't think it's a good idea?" He asked. Hermione looked at him, then smiled.

"No, it's not that" She said "I just think this isn't the best place to discuss it" She glanced around "There are too many people who'd be happy to talk to this rag" She gestured at the paper lying on the table "And given what is going to happen, I think we should probably just leave it under the rose, so to speak" 

"You're probably right" Neville said, then he smirked "What am I saying - you are ALWAYS right" He pretended to frown at her "Do you know how annoying that is?"

"I'm best friends with Harry" She paused "So no, not really" Neville laughed. 

xoxox

"Last chance to back out" Harry looked at his girlfriend, but she simply smiled back at him "Okay, okay" He took her hand and together they walked up to the end of the Ravenclaw table.

"Fleur? Sophithea?" Luna said, and the two Champions turned to face them "If you don't have any plans for today, would you like to join Harry and me for lunch?" Fleur and Sophithea gazed at them, then they both nodded.

"We would be glad to" Sophithea said.

"Thank you" Luna said, letting out a sigh of relief, then she glanced over at the Hufflepuff table "We're going to invite one more person, so don't be surprised if there is someone else there" Fleur glanced over her shoulder, then looked back and raised her eyebrow.

"Him? Really?"

"It will make sense when you meet us" Luna said "I also have a favour to ask" She paused "Tell no one you are meeting us, at least not until after the event" Fleur looked at her, then gave a single nod. Sophithea nodded a moment later.

"Thank you" Luna said again "The Hogshead, Noon. We will meet you round the back, and take you through a side door" She paused "We will see you there" She and Harry turned and walked towards the Hufflepuff table, coming to a halt behind Cedric, who turned to look at them in surprise. 

"Miss Lovegood, Mister Black" 

"Mister Diggory" Luna paused "I realise that this will come as somewhat of a surprise to you, but Harry and I would like to invite you to lunch today in The Hogshead. We have a private room reserved, and we have invited Fleur and Sophithea as well" She looked at Cho, and smiled apologetically "Sorry, Miss Chang, but we have a very limited number of seats"

"Of course" Cho gave her a polite smile.

"Mister Diggory - if you come to lunch with us, and listen to what we have to say, then both Harry and I, along with our friends and family, will consider the events of Christmas completely forgiven" Luna continued "This is not meant as a bribe, or a bargaining chip. You just have to come, and listen - you don't have to agree or do anything, just come and listen"

"Very well" Cedric nodded "I will be there"

"One last thing" Luna said "Miss Chang aside, we would prefer no one know about this meeting, so if you could come to the back of The Hogshead, and we will take you in through a side door. And we ask that you tell no one before the meeting" She glanced around "Given the way The Prophet has been running off at the mouth, we would rather this meeting not be broadcast all over the country" Cedric turned slightly pink.

"I think that is another thing I have to apologise for" He said, but Luna held up her hand.

"If it is, Mister Diggory, it's not me you owe the apology to" She said quietly "But no doubt we can discuss that at lunch" She paused "See you later" She and Harry turned and walked back down The Great Hall, before sitting down at the end of the Gryffindor table with Angela and Sally.

"Alea iacta est?" Angela asked.

"I would say half-cast, but I really don't like that phrase" Luna admitted "We could just send the three of them to The Hogshead and not turn up"

"Wouldn't that just make them suspicious?" Sally frowned.

"Pretty much" Harry nodded.

"And The Third Task is going to play out the way it will play out" Luna said, eyes losing focus for a second "Both halves of it, so I think we have our best chance to end it - all of it - if we do this the way we plan to" She took a deep breath "I won't say it isn't a risk, but compared to do nothing....."

"We know" Both Angela and Sally reached out and took her hands "We all agreed to this, and we are all behind you" Luna smiled.

"Well, if I am going to revolutionise the known world, I should probably have a big breakfast"

xoxox

"Fleur, Sophithea" Cedric walked along the alley behind The Hogshead and came to a stop a few feet away from the two witches "Before Harry and Luna arrived, there is something I want to say" He paused "Before I learned the truth about what my father, and Dumbledore, were going to do, I did some things I am now very ashamed of. And I think the worst of those was being manipulated into raising an official complaint about the two of you, and the Hogwarts staff, over The First Task"

"Oh yes?" Fleur stared at him.

"While it might appear that the complaint was aimed at you, I can see now it was more about incriminating Luna, about getting the wizarding world to turn against her, so that when Dumbledore finally made his move, the public would be predisposed to support him against her" He sighed "He is using The Prophet to destroy her credibility and he was using me to do the same, and I am afraid you got caught in the crossfire. I cannot apologise enough for that fact, and there is very little I can say, or do, to make it up to you" The two witches exchanged glances.

"I got an extra point out of it, and you lost two points" Fleur said with a shrug "For me, that is enough of a punishment" 

"And I am going to spank your bottom in the next two tasks so hard that no one will remember the first task by the time I am done" Sophithea smiled at him, then furrowed her brow "That may not have come out like I intended" Cedric gave a chuckle.

"I think if Cho heard you, she might take it badly, but I will take it in the spirit intended" he said, still smiling "But still, I am sorry and will do what I can to make it up to both of you"

"I am sure they will keep that in mind, Mister Diggory" Luna and Harry walked down from the other end of the alley "But I think you should all hold off on any serious promises until after you hear what we have to say, because it may cause you to change your mind about your future plans" She turned and knocked on the door, and a moment later it was opened by Abe "Aberforth - thank you for letting us do this"

"If you can do what you say you can do, my girl, I consider it an honour" Abe looked at the group "You can come up the back stairs - no one in the pub will see you, and the drawing room is all prepared for you and your guests"

"Thank you, Abe" Luna took a step up and hugged him, then looked back at the three Champions "If you would come this way?"

xoxox

Five minutes later they were sat around a circular table in an upstairs room, and Luna - with a final glance at Harry - addressed the three Champions.

"Before I start, I have to ask you to swear a magical, binding oath on your magic and your life that you will not reveal anything you hear today to anyone else until after the night of The Third Task" She almost laughed at the three identical expressions of surprise on their faces, but managed to bite her lip to stop herself "I know it sounds extreme, and that asking you to risk your lives is far beyond anything you might have been expecting, but once you hear what I have to say, you will understand" She paused, then drew her wand.

"I hereby swear on my magic, and my life, that if Fleur Delacour, Sophithea Queen or Cedric Diggory asks to be released from their oath at the end of this meeting, I will release them without hesitation or argument. So mote it be" A pulse of magic escaped from her wand, lighting up the room "I cannot go into details, but Cedric has some idea of how serious it is, given what I told him what would happen if I had fallen into Dumbledore's hands again" Cedric's eyes widened slightly, then he drew his wand.

"I swear on my life, and my magic, that I will not reveal anything I hear today until after the night of The Third Task. So mote it be" He said. Fleur and Sophithea exchanged glances, then they both drew their wands as well, and made the same oath. 

Luna let out a sigh of relief, then she stood up and started walking round the table.

"I am going to tell you a story. It's a long story, and it is somewhat complicated so if you have any questions, please ask them. You have to understand, and you have to be sure to understand to what you are agreeing come the end of the story" She said "It's a story about Harry, about me and about Dumbledore, Voldemort and what will be either the end of the magical world or the start of a new one" She came to a halt behind Harry "Harry, and my friends and my parents, know everything I am going to tell you, and they have given me permission to tell you everything" She started pacing again. 

"I can see the future" She said "And not like Trelawney can see the future. I mean I can literally see what is going to happen tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now" She looked at the three Champions, all of whom were still watching her "But the future isn't fixed like you would think. A simple thing, like a word, or an action, can change it. If you turn left, instead of right, then you don't meet the woman you fall in love with. If you say yes, instead of no, then you lose two points on The First Task rather than keeping your score" She smiled at Cedric "There are literally an infinite number of futures, because every moment millions of people are making choices that change everything" She paused, and her smile faded "And I can see all of them"

"Wow" Fleur exhaled "How does that not drive you crazy?" Luna gave a soft laugh.

"I first realised what I could do when I was a child, and it very nearly did. I saw my father die in a printing press explosion. He was working at my childhood home, and I saw the press explode, the building consumed in a huge ball of flame and my father die, screaming" She shivered "I wish I could say it was the most horrible thing I have ever seen, but the last few years......" She shook her head "Anyway - having realised what I had seen, I set about trying to change it. I made sure my father was out with me, fishing on the end of the jetty by my house"

"Your mother" Cedric said quietly, and Luna nodded. Cedric swallowed "Her mother died when Luna was a child. In an accident when the printing press exploded"

"I spent so much effort in ensuring my father would stay alive, that I didn't see a different future forming" She closed her eyes "I have told myself every day that it wasn't my fault she died, but she was there because my father wasn't"

"Your father would have died" Sophithea pointed out, but Luna sighed.

"I know" She shrugged "Anyway - the point of my story, tragic though it is - is that not only can I see the myriad of infinite futures, I can take actions to change them. And as I have grown up, I have been able to see further into the future and so been able to plan further ahead" She looked at Cedric "Something I believe Cedric can attest to?" He stared back at her, mouth open.

"You knew?" He asked in slight disbelief.

"About three, four weeks in advance I saw you and Ginny giving us portkeys and us vanishing" Luna nodded "Then I saw us with Dumbledore and McGonagall" She paused "It wasn't hard to put two and two together, so I made sure that when you tried to give us the portkeys, I made sure that you would hand them to each other"

"You......." He started, then trailed off "My father told me that you were dangerous. That you were planning to take over the magical world and that you would turn the rest of us into your servants" Luna smiled.

"Dumbledore gave him that idea" Luna said "Which is kind of ironic, since he had my father arrested for being a Death Eater so he could put me in his secret prison and take control of my gift and use it to do just that" She paused "And which is why he tried to prevent my father getting custody back, and why he has spent so much time trying to regain control over me - even going so far as manipulating you into trying to kidnap me" She paused, then gave a soft laugh.

"And the truth is, if I was the type to want that sort of thing, I could do it without a second thought" She said "I promised I would tell you - all of you - the whole truth, and I am not going to hide the fact that I am, right now, the single most powerful mage you will ever meet. I could make every single mage in the country - maybe even the world - bow to my will and I could make them think it was their idea and make them happy about it" She paused "But I don't want that power. There are just three things I want for a happy life, and when I have them, I will be content" She held up three fingers.

"One - I want Voldemort dead. He is a threat to every living being on this planet, and if we are to have peace in our time, he has to be exterminated and wiped off the face of the planet. Anyone who disagrees - anyone who sides with him - faces the same fate" She folded down one finger.

"Two - I want Dumbledore arrested or dead. While he is far less of a threat than Voldemort, he is no less dangerous. he plays with the magical world like it is one big chessboard and we are all his pieces. He held me prisoner, he held Harry, Frank and Alice prisoner. He lies, cheats, deceives and schemes and he does it all because he thinks he knows best. The Quibbler and The DMLE are already destroying his reputation, but I want him where he cannot harm the magical world any more" She folded down a second finger.

"Third - I want to finish Hogwarts and vanish into the magical world to never be heard from again" She smiled "I have no desire to rule, no desire to be Queen or Empress or.... what's the female form of Dictator?" She shrugged "It's probably not important because I am not going to be one" She looked at the three Champions again "Dumbledore has spent so long as unofficial ruler of the magical world, he believes everyone who does anything of which he doesn't approve is trying to take over. He can't see any other alternative, any other possibility" 

"Once my girlfriend is happy, we are retiring from the magical world" Harry spoke his first words since the conversation started "And she, and I, would sooner die than end up under Dumbledore's control again" The room feel silent for a moment, then Sophithea raised her hand.

"We aren't in school, Sophithea" Luna laughed.

"Sorry, but I didn't want to break the silence" Sophithea blushed "You've told us all this, but I don't entirely understand why" 

"Well, that's where we get on to part two of today's exciting story" Luna smiled "But first, before we continue, I thought we could have some lunch" She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Harry facing the three Champions. 

"So, while Luna is gone, do you have any questions?" He asked.

"What else has she seen?" Fleur asked "I mean.... has she manipulated us?"

"No" Harry shook his head "The only time she has manipulated anyone was when she tripped Neville during The Yule Ball" He looked at Cedric "And while I know it lead to your father being arrested and jailed, and all sorts of other crappy consequences for you, and for a few others, it's not something either of us regret" 

"It's really not a problem, Harry" Cedric said "If anything, I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to the both of you" He paused "Now that I know what I almost sent you to....." He shook his head "I am never going to be able to make this up to you" Harry smiled.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Cedric" He said "It's what you do next that counts" He looked around as the door open, and Luna came back in, floating a number of trays behind her "We'll talk more after we've eaten"

xoxox

"So how do you think it's going?" Hermione asked, glancing across at the street at The Hogshead.

"No aurors. No sign of Dumbledore or McGonagall or Moody" Neville smiled "So far, so good" He paused "So now, lunch" He took her hand.

"Lunch" She nodded.

xoxox

"So, I have a question for the three of you" Luna said, skewering a sausage with her fork "And I will understand if you don't want to answer it - it's not a part of the oath thing - it's more being curious" She paused, taking a bite of the sausage and swallowing it "Have you deciphered the meaning of the egg from The First Task?" The three Champions exchanged glances, then Sophithea nodded, followed by Fleur and finally Cedric. 

"I won't ask you to tell me what it means - you are still all competing against each other - but if you've all figured out what it means, then I would guess you may have an idea as to what The Second Task entails?" Again they all nodded.

"A few minutes ago, I told you that I did not want to be the Queen Of The World" She said "That I did not want to rule over anyone, or give anyone instructions, commands or orders" She paused "And I don't. Ever since my father died, I have only ever used this gift once to forcibly manipulate people and it made me sick to my soul" She closed her eyes "You are all of age, so I assume you have been told how the cruciatus curse makes you feel if you are not truly evil?"

"It corrupts your soul" Sophithea nodded "It makes you feel like you will never be clean again, like there is a little piece of fire in your veins that you can never get out" 

"The one time I manipulated my friends was as bad as that, if not worse, and I am never, ever going to do it again" Luna said "Dumbledore doesn't understand that, McGonagall, Moody, Voldemort - they don't get just how much I hate this gift and how I will not use it to rule the world" She took a deep breath "With all that in mind, you have to understand that what I am going to say now is just a suggestion, based on what I've seen, and it is just because I want to give you a choice" She took another bite of sausage. 

"Fleur, I think you should find a way to send your sister back to France before The Second Task. A way that cannot be prevented by your Headmistress, and that cannot be questioned by anyone" She paused, then looked at Cedric "You should also ensure that Cho gets sick, or has a family emergency that keeps her out of school, or that she breaks her arm or her leg or her scapula on the night before The Task" 

"You have no advice for me?" Sophithea asked with a wry smile. 

"It took the combined power of two noble Houses and the French Diplomatic Corps to get Tara over here for two weeks" Luna said with a smirk "Trust me when I say she won't be coming back for a single day. It would require Merlin herself to come back from the grave, and if that happens then I think The Second Task is probably going to have to be postponed" 

"They are going to take my sister and stick her in a lake?" Fleur exclaimed "Those feckless bastards!" 

"So much for not spilling the secrets of the task" Harry said with a grin. 

"I already knew" Cedric said.

"Me too" Sophithea nodded.

"They are going to take my sister and stick her in a lake?" Fleur asked again, slightly calmer this time "That is the thing we will greatly miss?"

"Yes" Luna said "So you need to send Gabrielle back to France and you need to make sure that Cho has a reason to be out of school, or stuck in the infirmary" She paused "They will be replaced with Roger Davies and....." She closed her eyes "..... Heidi?" 

"Heidi MacCavoy?" Cedric blinked "The chaser?" 

"I guess someone you'd miss" Luna shrugged "Once you take Cho out of the running, what's the next thing you love most?" 

"My family" Cedric replied, then he nodded "But they can't bring my father here, because he is somewhat detained, so I guess the next thing is quidditch"

"The future is determined by many different choices" Luna said simply "And the specific future I am talking about will be determined by whether you believe me about Gabrielle and Cho, and whether you decide to do anything about it. I can't make that choice for you - I am not a goddess, I am not a queen, and I am not your ruler" She paused "Anyway - that's all I have to say about The Second Task for now, because we have a much more important thing to talk about" She smiled "But first, pudding"

xoxox

"Are you as worried about this as I am?" Angela asked, walking hand in hand with Sally along the main street of Hogsmeade "I know she intends to ask them to swear an oath, but oaths can be broken and if the stuff with Kingsley shows us anything it's that we are already walking on a knife edge"

"And if anyone else was to find out about her it will just multiply our problems" Sally nodded "But we trust her, right?"

"Without question" Angela replied.

"So how about we wait until the end of the day, and then see how things have gone" Sally smiled, then pulled her girlfriend into a hug "And until then, we have a nice day out because I don't know if you've remembered this, but it is the most romantic day of the year" She kissed Angela's cheek "So - what would you like to do?"

xoxox

Cedric put down his spoon and pushed away the bowl in front of him.

"So, Luna, I have a feeling you have one more thing to talk to us about, and since time is marching on, I think you should possibly get to it" He said. Luna smiled.

"You remember what happened at The Choosing?" She asked.

"That was you?" Sophithea asked, then she narrowed her eyes "Did you...."

"No" Luna shook her head "A few weeks before that night, I saw my name come out of The Goblet, because of the fake Alastor Moody. Obviously I wasn't going to let that stand, because I am just a child, and I knew it was part of a plot to basically get me killed in one of any number of horrible ways, so I manipulated The Goblet of Fire into throwing out a number of other names as well" 

"Which would ensure The Choosing would have to be redone and Barty Crouch Junior would be arrested" Fleur said understandingly. 

"It seemed like the best outcome" Luna smiled "Once The Goblet was cleaned and relit, I had nothing to do with the second outcome" She mimed an X over her heart "Cross my heart. Our best guess is that after Viktor's boasting and generally smug attitude, The Goblet decided he wasn't a suitable candidate for a Tri-Wizard Champion, so it picked someone else" She paused "I promise I had no influence over the fact any of your names came out the second time" 

"Except something has change?" Sophithea said "You said Voldemort put your name in The Goblet through Barty Crouch Junior, and you managed to get out of it by making the first Choosing a joke, but now...... now you want to get back into the tournament?" Fleur and Cedric stared at her, then turned to look at Luna.

"The original plan was for Junior - as Moody - to turn The Tri-Wizard Chalice into a portkey so that when I touched it I would be transported....... somewhere. Somewhere where Voldemort and his henchmen would be waiting to use me in a ritual to return him to power and then kill me" Luna paused "He knows about my gift - I think either Snape or Crouch or someone told him - and he sees me as a threat and wants me dead" She shook her head "But anyway - after he used me then killed me, he was going to return my body to Hogwarts to strike fear and terror into my friends and the rest of the country, and to announce his return and declare war"

"I can see why you would want to stop that" Fleur said "Except....... you don't want to stop that?"

"This is one of the two reasons we needed an oath" Luna said "Because I am going to be in that graveyard, and Harry is going to be with me" All three Champions turned to look at the other student sat at the table, who smiled back at them.

"The other reason we needed the oath is this" He said "I am the only one who can kill Voldemort. There was a prophecy made a month before my birth that says I will have a power that The Dark Lord knows not - he thinks Luna has the ability to predict the future, be he has no idea what she can really do. Together, she and I will destroy him once and for all"

"But if he sees us coming - if he knows we are there - he will run, and we will never get that chance" Luna said, then she looked at Fleur and Cedric "When I first thought I would have to enter The Tournament, I did some research. Champions who were injured could nominate a proxy - a stand in - so that they wouldn't lose their magic if they couldn't complete the next task. All they have to do is decide who their proxy is, and fill in the appropriate form. The form doesn't even have to be given to the Tournament committee, as long as it is signed and dated before the task takes place" 

"You and Harry want to take our places?" Fleur asked.

"Using a glamour spell and polyjuice potion" Luna nodded "You won't lose your magic, and when we touch The Trophy we will be transported to the graveyard, but Voldemort will see Fleur and Cedric, not Harry and Luna" She paused "However there is another part to this, and this is where you have to make a choice"

"We are certain that - during the hustle and bustles of The Third Task, Dumbledore is going to kidnap Luna and me" Harry said "He will send one of his agents into Hogwarts and take the both of us to his secret hideaway, where he will try to talk us into giving in before eventually giving up and using the imperius curse to bend us to his will" He paused "We would like you two to impersonate us, so that when he kidnaps you and starts ranting and raving, you cancel the spells and he realises just how badly he has screwed up. You will also be carrying several charmed items that will alert The DMLE to where you are, all of which you can trigger once the game is up, so to speak"

"You are free to say no to either part of this plan" Luna said "I promise that I will not do anything to compel you, to make you change your mind or influence you, other than to say that this is the best chance we have to capture Dumbledore and kill Voldemort" She paused, then looked at Sophithea "The reason we invited you is because if Fleur and Cedric agree, we would need you to help them, or rather us, make it to The Trophy and ensure we are both transported to the graveyard while you remain behind"

"I cannot come with you?" Sophithea asked.

"You would be killed the moment you arrive" Harry said "They would not hesitate and there is no future in which you survive" Sophithea gulped.

"On second thoughts, staying behind sounds a much better idea" She said weakly.

"It is up to you, but I would say that is a good choice" Luna patted her hand "And I realise that I am asking you to lose The Tournament, and I promise that both Harry and I will make this up to - assuming we don't both die in the attempt"

"How can you be so calm about this?" Cedric asked "You are talking about facing the most evil and dangerous Dark Lord in recent history as if you are going down to the shops" Luna shrugged.

"Since I was five years old I have seen my own death over a thousand times, and I am still alive" She said simply "After a while, you learn not to worry about it" She took a deep breath "You have any time up to a week before The Third Task to decide whether you are in or out. The proxy forms need to be signed and dated by then, and if you aren't going to agree, we need to know so we can make other arrangements and ensure that The Tri-Wizard Cup is not a portkey"

"I'm in" Fleur said.

"Me too" Cedric added.

"As am I" Sophithea nodded. Luna stared at all three of them, and realised that tears were pricking the back of her eyes.

"Well then" She took a deep breath "I think that is all we need to discuss for now" She looked at Fleur "Did your sister tell you where the Christmas party was held?"

"Yes"

"Then we will meet there a week before to sort out the forms and get the items we need, and the afternoon before The Third Task to switch places" She paused "And I think that is that" She smiled "Thank you all - you really have no idea what this will mean to us, and to the rest of the magical world"

"Oh, I think we do" Fleur said with a smile, then she stood up "And now, if you will excuse me, I think I will go and see what trouble Gabrielle has got into, and it will require her to be sent home for some discipline from our parents" 

"And I will go and see what Cho may have been doing in my absence" Cedric grinned "And thank you for the warning"

"You are most welcome" Luna said. As Fleur and Cedric left the room, Sophithea looked at Harry and Luna.

"You are sure they will not bring back Tara?" She asked. Luna closed her eyes, then bit her lip.

"She is just having another look" Harry said by way of explanation when Sophithea looked at her questioningly. She nodded, then a minute or so later Luna opened her eyes.

"A girl named Avalonia?" She looked at Sophithea askingly.

"My best friend" Sophithea nodded "That would make sense once Tara is not available "She will not be in any danger?"

"The puzzle sounds dangerous and foreboding, but no - if you fail, they will be returned in an hour unharmed and unmolested" Luna replied "And, before you ask, if Avalonia is unavailable, they will keep going until they run out of people, then probably move on to your friends at Hogwarts, starting with Angela or Sally" The colour drained out of Sophithea's face.

"Avalonia it is then" She said "At least she is of age and old enough to consent" She smiled "Thank you, and thank you for trusting me with this - I am honoured, even if you do not directly need my help"

"You are our friend" Harry said, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek "Of course we trust you" Sophithea smiled, then turned and left the room. Harry turned back to Luna. 

"And so it begins" He said.

"And so it begins" She nodded "Come on, lets go find the others and put them out of their misery" She paused "Not in the creepy, bullet in the head way. In the good way"

"Yes dear"

xoxox

Neville and Hermione walked down the high street to where Sally and Angela were looking in the window of Honeydukes.

"Anything yet?" Hermione asked. 

"Not yet, no" Sally shook her head "Shouldn't they be finished by now?"

"Maybe they are just sorting out some final details" Neville suggested "Or having some pudding"

"I suppose" Angela sighed, then she looked down the street, and started to smile "Or perhaps they stopped to get an ice-cream" The other three turned to see Harry and Luna walking down the street towards them, both with ice-cream cones in their hand. 

They remained silent until Harry and Luna came to a halt in front of them.

"So?" Hermione asked.

"Mission accomplished" Luna said with a smile "So - how was your day?"


	15. Sub Rosa Sub Aqua

Three nights later, Filius walked up to the Headmaster's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter" He pushed the door open, and walked up to the desk.

"Severus, I am afraid we have a problem. Well - two problems" Filius said, sounding slightly agitated. Severus looked up.

"Oh yes?" He asked. 

"The meeting two weeks ago, when we arranged the hostages for The Second Task?"

"Yes" Severus nodded "What of it?"

"We decided on Avalonia Gaub, Gabrielle Delacour and Cho Chang for Miss Queen, Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory Respectively" Filius continued "And since both Delacours were nominally assigned to my house, I was involved in the decision because I would be the one who would bring Miss Delacour Junior here the night before The Task - or tomorrow night as it is also known" Severus stared at him.

"Filius, I have a feeling you are trying to make a point, but I am not sure what it is" He paused "I also have a lot of work to do, so if you wouldn't mind perhaps coming to said point, I would be most appreciative" 

"This morning I received a letter from Mister Delacour demanding that Gabrielle return to France right away. She has family obligations, and she is needed at home at once" Filius said "And less than five minutes later, I learned that Miss Chang had been admitted to the hospital wing with a case of spattergoit that is going to have her in there for at least a week" Severus stared at him with mounting incredulity.

"I take it that you didn't explain the situation to Mister Delacour?" He said after a few minutes.

"That we wanted to place his underage daughter in The Black Lake for an hour so that his other daughter could rescue her?" Filius paused "Somehow I am not sure that would have improved the situation"

"And Madame Pomfrey cannot do anything to speed up Miss Chang's treatment?"

"Perhaps a day or so at the most, but she will definitely not be fit for the day after tomorrow" Filius shook his head "Gabrielle Delacour will have to leave tomorrow, otherwise we are risking a major international incident" Severus stared at him for a few moments, then sighed.

"Very well" He took a deep breath "Can you ask the other three Heads of House to come here in about half an hour, and Madame Maxime as well. We need to find new hostages for Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory" He paused "The Gaub girl is still available, yes?"

"Yes" Filius nodded.

"Then we can leave Karkaroff out of this for now" Severus said "Just Professors Sprout, Lupin and Black and Madame Maxime" He paused "We have to have this sorted out by this time tomorrow, otherwise we will have to postpone The Second Task, and you know what sort of chaos that will produce"

"Yes, Headmaster" Filius nodded "Half an hour?"

"Yes, please"

xoxox

"Tell Severus I will be there" Sirius nodded "Can I ask?"

"Gabrielle Delacour has been recalled to France and Cho Chang has been confined to the infirmary with spattergoit" Filius said.

"Wow" 

"As you can imagine, this has necessitated somewhat of a rethink of our plan" Filius continued "Half an hour"

"As I said, I will be there" Sirius said again. He waited until Filius left his office, then he sealed the door, conjured a camp bed and lay down on it.

"Certain as the sun......"

xoxox

".....sets in the east" He looked around the keep of Castle Dreadnought, then he walked out of the castle and took a deep breath.

"You don't need to shout, Uncle Sirius" Luna flew up into view on the back of Nirnaeth and came to a stop, hovering in front of him "I can hear you just fine from here"

"How do you do that?" He asked, looking at her in surprise. 

"The Regent of The Dreamland has some surprising powers" She replied with a smile "Harry and I were flying to our new hide out when I felt you enter the realm, and since there could really only be one thing it was about, I thought I would come back to talk to you"

"You know why I am here?" He blinked "You can read minds now?"

"No" She shook her head "Don't be silly"

"Because seeing the future and running The Dreamland is perfectly acceptable" He rolled his eyes, making her blush. 

"Okay - point taken" She admitted "But no - I can't read your mind. However I am pretty sure Fleur's father's letter would have arrived about half an hour ago, and if I am right Professor Flitwick would have just been informed that one of his students has been rushed to the infirmary with a very serious case of spattergoit" She paused "Allowing walking speed and the oddities of the staircases, it probably would have taken about five, maybe ten minutes for him to talk to the Headmaster, and then a further ten minutes to reach you"

"Was any of this what you saw, or just what you worked out?"

"A little of this, a little of that" Luna smiled "So - how'd I do?"

"Do you even need to ask?" He replied with a faint grin "Gabrielle has been summoned back to France, effective immediately, and Cho will be in the hospital for the foreseeable future" He paused "For what most people consider the foreseeable future, that is" Luna blushed "Severus, the four Heads of House and Madame Maxime are meeting to find two new hostages for the day after tomorrow"

"Have fun" She said.

"If I promise not to tell Severus or anyone else, except possibly Remus, can I ask....."

"The previous bullying not withstanding, I kind of like Cho. And we really needed Cedric's help for The Third Task" Luna said "I told him about Cho before I told him about The Third Task - it wasn't a quid pro quo or anything like that" 

"And Gabrielle?"

"She's EIGHT!" Luna glared at him "What kind of twisted, evil mind thinks sticking an eight year old girl at the bottom of a lake is a good idea?" Sirius shrugged.

"Madame Maxime said it was okay, and she is Gabrielle's guardian for the trip" He replied "While I wasn't happy, it wasn't really my place to object, and I suspect even if I had said anything, no one would have listened" Luna stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

"You are probably right. If there had been another way, I probably wouldn't have resorted to such drastic action" She fell silent for a few moments "Well - you probably have a meeting to get to, and we have a cave to secure and an entire ocean to explore. So - we will see you tomorrow" She turned and flew off on her dragon. Sirius watched her fade into the distance, then took a few steps back. 

"She really is a funny girl....."

xoxox

"....that Belle"

xoxox

Sirius walked up the stairs to the Headmaster's office and found the door open, so he walked in to find the other three Heads of House and Madame Maxime sat with Severus. 

"Professor Black, so glad you could join us" Severus smiled "I hope we haven't taken you away from anything important?"

"I was catching up with Teen Witch Weekly" Sirius replied drily "But for you, I will happily catch up on what Celestia Warbeck is doing later" He sat down "So where are we up to?"

"We were just musing on what an amazing coincidence it was that Miss Delacour and Miss Chang were both suddenly unavailable within less than an hour of each other" Maxime said "Almost as if someone knew what was planned for them" 

"Only the six of us, and Karkaroff, knew who we had chosen for The Second Task" Sirius looked around the group "Are you suggesting one of us told?" He paused "I can promise you that I didn't tell any of my children, or any of The Champions, about it"

"And yet it would seem that both Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory became aware" Pomona said "Because I cannot imagine why Miss Chang would be unavailable otherwise"

"It might just be coincidence" Sirius suggested, then smiled "I admit, not even I believe that"

"Well - whatever the reason we are in this situation, we are in this situation" Severus said "And so we have to find another hostage for Miss Delacour, and another hostage for Mister Diggory" He looked over at Maxime "Do you have any suggestions?" The French Headmistress looked at Severus for a few moments.

"The boy she danced with at The Yule Ball" She said eventually "While she might not love or even be attracted to him, I believe that she does like him more than most" She paused "I am ashamed to admit that she has not made so many friends in her own year and in the group that came with her"

"The Veela problem?" Filius asked, and Maxime nodded.

"It makes making friends a little difficult" She sighed "Anyway, with your permission, I would say her date to The Ball"

"Roger Davies" Severus said, writing on a piece of parchment, then he looked at Pomona "And for Cedric?"

"Someone from The Quidditch Team" She replied without hesitation "If Miss Chang won't be out of the infirmary, and his father is still going to be in prison, then I would say his next passion is Quidditch, and taking someone from the team would probably work within the bounds of The Task"

"Do you have a......" Severus started, but trailed off as Pomona handed him a list. He glanced through it, then shrugged, closed his eyes and jabbed his finger down. Looking at where his finger landed, he glanced back up.

"Heidi MacAvoy" He announced.

"Second Chaser" Pomona nodded "Sounds good to me" Severus wrote down the name, then looked up.

"Okay, since The Second Task is the day after tomorrow, we should hopefully be able to keep these three out of trouble until then" He paused, then looked at Sirius "Assuming no one tells anyone the names before then" Sirius grinned but held his hands up innocently "Are there any other arrangements we need to make?"

"Well.....I have been thinking about something" Sirius said "But it might be too late to do anything about it" He drew his wand, then paused "May I?"

"Be my guest" Severus waved his hand, and Sirius pointed his wand at the desk, conjuring a model of the lake and the four stands.

"So this is where The Champions will start from, and where the judges will be standing" He said, pointing to the largest of the stands "And these are where the rest of the students will be watching from" He gestured to the other three stands. He paused, then he added three tiny figures to the model, stood on the large stand.

"The Task starts when The Three Champions jump into the lake" He said, giving a flick of his wand. The three tiny figures jumped into the lake, and vanished "At which point, the assembled crowds are going to be staring at the surface of The Black Lake for anything up to an hour, waiting for Sophithea, Fleur and Cedric to return" He looked up at the rest of the staff "Do you see the problem?"

"How are we going to judge them on how they carried out The Task if we can't see them?" Maxime asked. 

"And what are the students going to watch? The clouds scudding by?" Filius added.

"It is going to be a tad boring for the assembled masses" Sirius said "Is there any chance we can whip something up to allow us to follow the progress of the three students? Something like a follow camera? Or see through their eyes type of thing?" He looked around "We have some of the smartest witches and wizard in the country here, and Severus, so surely we can do something?" 

"I will give it some thought" Filius said, furrowing his brow "It would have to be focused on the student themselves but also something we could project above The Lake......" He trailed off, mind racing "May I...."

"Class dismissed" Severus said "The hostages have to be back here by ten o'clock tomorrow night. And that is it. Go - invent, be creative. Good night"

xoxox

Sirius reappeared in The Keep at Dreadnought.

"If you can hear me, you don't need to come and find me. I am just going to make my way across to Cair Paravel" He called out, feeling slightly foolish. Then he walked into the stables and picked up a carpet that was hanging over one of the stalls. 

"I really should remember to ask why the adults don't get steeds of our own" He said with a frown, then he placed the carpet down on the surface of the cloud and sat on it "To Cair Paravel, my good........ carpet" He called out. A moment later, the carpet rose into the air and flew off, heading towards the Longbottom family castle. 

xoxox

"What if we....... what if we can put some kind of observation charm on the three Champions?" Filius paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at Pomona and Remus "Like......" He trailed off, then sighed "No, the charm would have to be focused on something"

"A snitch" Remus said suddenly "Rolanda must have access to some snitches that are in pre-game enchantment. If we can bind the snitch to the person, we can get it to hover around them" 

"And if we bind the scrying charm to the snitch, it would watch The Champion" Pomona said brightly "And if we attach it to a mirror, or a huge bowl of water, then everyone would be able to see" Filius nodded. 

"What about privacy?" Remus asked. 

"What do you mean?" Pomona looked at him "The entire purpose is to watch them - why would they need privacy?"

"Not their privacy" Remus said "But if we create a system where we can remotely monitor any student, what is to stop us using it on any student?" He paused "And what is to stop anyone else using it on any student?"

"You're worried about Black and Lovegood?" Filius asked, and Remus nodded.

"If we create a..... the magical equivalent of a CCTV system, then it would be open to any amount of abuse" He paused "So I think we need to add something in to the scrying spell that requires the consent of the one being scryed upon before the spell will work" He tilted his head "And I think the binding spell for the snitch should also require consent, just to double the protection"

"Are you sure that is necessary?" Filius glanced at Pomona "I thought the changes that Severus made to the wards prevented anyone from getting in"

"They do occasionally leave the wards, and I am not certain the adjustments Severus made would prevent things as tiny as a snitch from following them back in" Remus said "I know that we can't prevent someone outside the wards from doing what we are about to do, but if we craft the spell very carefully......"

"So that the person being scryed upon has to wear something!" Pomona exclaimed, jumping to her feet "Like a ring, or a belt or something similar" She smiled "We bind the snitch to the item, not to the person, and that would prevent someone else from doing this to someone who hasn't agreed" She looked at her two colleagues "I am right, aren't I?"

"Yes" Filius nodded slowly "Now the question is, can we get this working before tomorrow?"

xoxox

"Good evening" Remus strode into Cair Paravel, then looked at Sirius "You are the most evil man alive. I hope you realise that"

"I actually do realise that, yes" Sirius smiled back at him "Any particular reason or is this still about Lucy MacKellen?"

"Who is Lucy MacKellen?" Damian asked interestedly, looking round from the table he and his wife were sat at. Sirius and Remus both looked at him.

"Probably best that you don't ask" Frank replied before either of them could say anything "It was maybe the only time I can remember The Marauders coming to blows" He realised they were both staring at him "Or how about them Cannons?" Remus stared at him a moment longer, then looked back at Sirius.

"Your idea for watching The Champions" He said "We finally got something working, but it's taken......" He looked at his watch "Five hours?" He shook his head "It involves a wristband, a snitch, a tethering charm and a scrying charm" He paused "You have no idea how complex the magic is"

"Pomona and Filius?" Sirius asked.

"Thank you for your faith in me" Remus grinned "But yes, the three of us created it, and did some testing" He looked over at Xeno "We also built in some safeguards - the spell can only be activated when the target is wearing the wristband, and they use the words 'I consent to be monitored'. If they take the wristband off, the spell is broken, and even if someone puts the wristband on them without them knowing, the spell won't kick in until the use the phrase"

"Imperius?" Faith asked.

"The consent has to be given without the affect of any other spell" Remus said, a touch of pride in his voice "We tried it with a confundus charm and it didn't work" 

"You are good" She replied "I am beginning to understand why you had the reputation you did" Remus blushed.

"Why thank you" He said bashfully "But a lot of the credit goes to Pomona and Filius - they are very good at what they do" He looked back at Xeno "And it has ensured that no one - not Dumbledore, not Severus - will be able to use it to monitor any of our children without their, or our, permission"

"Thank you" Xeno and Sirius said in unison. 

"It was the first thing I insisted on, and both Filius and Pomona agreed" He smiled "So we are all prepared for tomorrow. Magical mirrors will be created above The Black Lake, and we will not spend an hour just watching the waves wash back and forth, as fun as that might have been"

"So who do you think will win?" Damian asked "Because my money is on Sophithea"

"Really?" Sirius looked at him in surprise "Because I would have said Cedric has a far better chance - more athletic and all that"

"No one wants to bet on Fleur then?" Xeno smiled.

"I know she's a family friend, and we should be displaying loyalty and all that, but....."

"But historically Veela are creatures of fire, and spending almost an hour underwater is probably not going to show her at her best" Xeno nodded, then he frowned "I have wondered about that" Faith and Damian both looked at him curiously.

"You think it's a set up?" Faith asked.

"Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff appear to have had very little say in the arrangement of The Tournament - the selection of the tasks and so on" Xeno said "I think this whole thing is more of a vanity exercise for our most beloved Minister than anything else, and having Cedric, and Hogwarts, come out as the winner would definitely make him happy" 

"So you think he conspired to set things up to ensure Hogwarts won?" Damian paused "How would he know Fleur would be selected to compete?" Xeno paused, then shrugged.

"If he had a list of potential Champions, then maybe he could have guessed that Fleur would be?" He suggested "Or, at the very least she would be a good bet and even if she wasn't, the others would be on an equal footing" 

"You think Fudge is so desperate to be liked that he would....." Sirius trailed off "You know what? Forget I even started that conversation" He shook his head "At least we got Gabrielle away from it" He paused, then looked at Remus "Not that we can ever tell Severus that, of course"

"Of course" Remus smirked "He is a tad annoyed that all their planning came to nothing, by the way"

"I would imagine" Sirius glanced up at the ceiling "Lily would be proud"

"James would be more so" Remus replied "Saving not one but two girls - a very dashing thing to do" Sirius laughed.

"We are nothing if not swashbucklers" Sirius smiled "So now that we have sorted out tomorrow, we have to start making plans for The Third Task" He paused "If we can't get Voldemort to take the bait, we are going to be in trouble"

"Did you ever think that would be a sentence you would say?" Faith said with a laugh, and Sirius grinned.

"So - what can we do about it?" He asked.

xoxox

"Welcome to the Second Task of The Tri-Wizard Tournament!" Fudge's voice boomed out over The Dark Lake, reaching the three spectator stands and the three Champions stood beneath the judges' stand. 

"As you can see, we have prepared a mirror for each Champion, so that you can see the progress of them as they make their way through The Task" He continued "The spells are being prepared now, so if you could direct your attention to the mirrors....."

xoxox

"How does this spell work?" Fleur asked, staring suspiciously at Filius.

"Remus said you would ask that" Filius smiled, then held out the wrist band so that each Champion could see it "The spell has three parts. The first is this wristband - it is bound to a snitch, and as long as you are wearing the wristband, the snitch will follow you around" He paused "The second is magical consent. You have to give your consent to be monitored by the spell, and the consent has to be freely given with the words 'I consent to be monitored' otherwise it won't work. And if you remove the wristband, the consent is withdrawn by default" He drew his wand.

"The third part is binding the snitch connected to the wristband to a specific mirror, so that the spell will track you" He said "Again, if you remove the wristband, it will cancel the consent and the spell" He looked up at the mirrors "So are you ready?"

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Yes"

"Very well" He handed each of them a bracelet, which they put on "Miss Delacour, do you consent to be monitored by this spell for the duration of The Second Task? Everyone will be able to see what you do, where you go and, assuming you say anything, hear what you say?"

"I consent to be monitored" She nodded. Filius waved his wand, and her image appeared on the first mirror to much cheering and applause.

"Mister Diggory...."

"I consent to be monitored" Cedric said. Filius smiled, then waved his wand, making his image appear on the second mirror, to more cheering and applause. Filius turned, but before he could open his mouth, Sophithea smiled.

"I consent to be monitored" She said. Filius let out a soft laugh, then cast a third spell, making her image appear on the last mirror to a final burst of applause.

"Remember" He said "Once The Task is over, you can remove the wristband and the spell will end" He smiled "Now, I will let Minister Fudge take over again"

xoxox

"And now with all three Champions ready to go, I will tell you about The Task" Fudge continued in his magically amplified voice "Each Champion has had something important taken from them, and placed at the bottom of The Dark Lake. They have an hour to retrieve it by whatever means they wish to use" He paused "After some accusations of biased scoring in The First Task, the marks for this Task have been adjusted" 

xoxox

"Wow" Harry said "They actually listened?" He looked at Luna, who was looked at him in surprise "What?"

"They actually listened?" She said "That's what you're 'wowing' about?" Harry frowned.

"What else would I be wowing about?" He asked in response, then looked when Luna waved her hand at the mirrors.

"You have two almost perfect examples of the female form, dressed in as little clothing as you are going to see them in" She said. Harry looked up at the mirrors, and the image of Fleur in a silver one piece swimming costume, and Sophithea in a blue bikini, then back at his girlfriend.

"But I have you, and your smile, and your hair and your eyes" He said with a smile, making her blush.

"The first Champion to return with their prize will get eleven points, the second will get eight and the third will get five points" Fudge continued "In addition, each Judge will have between one and ten points per Champion for the skill with which they carry out the task" He paused "So if The Champions are all prepared..... THREE. TWO. ONE. BEGIN!"

Luna, Harry and the rest of the group cheered as all three Champions dived into the water. A moment later, a large, transparent bubble appeared around Fleur's head. Cedric transformed into a half a shark, and Sophithea appeared to grow gills.

"Gills?" Sally asked.

"Gillyweed" Neville smiled "She came to talk to Hermione and me the night before last, and asked if we knew anything about magical plants" He paused "I didn't see any reason not to tell her" Luna smiled.

"You're helping the Bulgarian girl?" Ron asked from behind them.

"The Bulgarian girl has a name, Ronald" Luna turned round to face him "Her name is Sophithea and she is our friend" She paused "We are also friends with Cedric and Fleur, and if they had come to us and asked for help, we would have helped them as well but...." She waved at the mirrors "....they obviously know what they are doing"

"You're friends with Cedric?" Ginny walked up beside Ron "You've forgiven him?"

"I am not sure how that is any of your business" Luna frowned at her before turning back to watch the mirrors. Ginny looked at her brother, then walked up and reached out to tap Luna on the shoulder. However before she could move her hand, Neville, Sally and Angela all turned and pointed their wands at her.

"Move your hand and we will blow you into the lake" Angela said calmly. Ginny stared at them, while Ron moved his hand toward his wand.

"You really don't want to do that" Hermione said casually, pointing her wand at his chest "Because I won't hesitate to blast you off this platform either" Ron pause, then slowly lowered his hand to his side. 

"Ginny - back away from her" He said quietly. Ginny took a step back, then lowered her hand. 

"Why have you forgiven Cedric, and not me?" She asked.

"Like I said" Luna didn't turn around "I am not sure how that is any of your business" She paused "Now leave us alone, before we run out of patience and decide to throw you off the side just because we are bored" 

xoxox

Fleur cast another stunning spell, then realised she was never going to be able to get through the swarm of grindylows that had surrounded her. She took a deep breath, then twisted round in the water and started making her way back up towards the surface of The Lake. 

xoxox

"She's giving up?" Harry looked across at Luna "How will that affect R..... how will that affect the thing she is going to rescue?"

"If we are to believe the egg, then after the hour is up, then the prize will be lost, and it will be dead and gone" Luna smirked "But even when the great and powerful Dumbledore was here, I cannot believe that that would be the case" She glanced at The Lake just as Fleur surfaced, spluttering, before swimming back towards the stand she had set off from less than quarter of an hour before.

"No - I think that when the hour runs out, or maybe a little after, the..... prize will be returned unharmed and unmolested" She smiled as Fleur pulled herself up onto the stand, then glanced around at the rest of the students "Have I mentioned how I glad I am I introduced you to The Dreamland?" 

"Pardon me?" Harry blinked at the non-sequitur "Any particular reason you mention that now?" She pointed to where Fleur - still dripping with water - was stretching her arms behind her back, pulling the one-piece suit tight against her chest.

"The water was obviously cold" Luna said with a slight smile, making Harry blush "But I think your time in The Dreamland has allowed you to protect your mind and focus on other things" She gestured to the rest of the students, and he realised all of the boys were staring up at the mirror, eyes slightly unfocused.

"Well - I like having my mind as my own" He said "And how would I be able to face you if I spent all my time drooling over Miss Delacour?" Luna laughed.

"You are wise and smart, my young apprentice" She gave him a hug "And I think that Hermione, Sally and Angela are all pretty happy with the lack of drooling too" Harry blinked a few times, then glanced over at his friends.

"Veela allure affects lesbians?" He asked "It isn't targeted at people she wants to find her attractive?" 

"A common myth" Luna nodded "It attracts everyone who might be attracted to her, which in the case of the six of us would be everyone except me and Hermione" She paused "Anyway - I am pretty sure that R..... that whatever was taken will be returned just after the hour is up. Maybe exactly in Fleur's case, because it's clear she isn't going to be able to get it back herself"

"Where as if Sophithea and Cedric are on their way back as the time expires....." Harry trailed off and nodded, then looked up at the other two mirrors "They seem to be going pretty well"

xoxox

Cedric swam further and further down, before coming to a stop at the bottom of the lake. He looked around, and saw a ruined temple a dozen or so yards away through the murky waters. 

He swam a little further forward, and more details resolved themselves - three figures were floating in the water, attached to the ground by three chains. Looking along the line of floating figures, he saw Roger, Heidi and young woman he didn't recognise. A few seconds later, he caught a flash of movement in the corner of his eye and saw Sophithea swimming down towards the row of floating bodies as well.

Flicking his feet, he shot forward, then turned on his side and took a bite out of the chain holding Heidi to the ground. It snapped, and he started pulling it along, forcing the girl along behind him.

"This is not very dignified" He thought.

xoxox

Sophithea watched Cedric the shark swim away, then she looked around. Drawing her wand, she cast a quick 'point me' spell, and saw her wand point back up to the surface of the lake. 

"She isn't coming" Sophithea thought to herself, then she glanced along the line to where Roger was floating gently back and forth in the current "If that had been her sister, I wouldn't hesitate, but I don't think I can get both him and Avalonia back to the surface" She let out a sigh, then pointed her wand and blasted the chain under her friend. She cast a final glance at Roger, then - with her arm around Avalonia - she pointed her wand downwards.

"ASCENDIO MAXIMARIUS!" 

xoxox

"Bloody hell!" Neville exclaimed as Sophithea and Avalonia shot up from the bottom of the lake "That's....... fast"

"I think she is trying to beat Cedric back" Sally said, glancing at the other mirror "Sharks can swim pretty fast, but he is being slowed down by Heidi"

"So now it's just a race?" Neville looked at the mirrors "This could be more fun than I thought"

xoxox

Fleur stared up at the mirrors belonging to the other Champions, then she realised she could still see herself in the third mirror. With a glance down at her arm, she yanked the wristband off and tossed it into The Lake. Looking up, she smiled as she saw the mirror had gone dark.

xoxox

"Looks like the privacy spell works properly" Hermione remarked "Which is good news for all of us I guess"

"Professors Lupin, Sprout and Flitwick working together?" Neville smiled "I'm surprised they haven't tried to take over the world"

"We were going to, but then we thought we'd use you six as puppets for our evil empire" Neville span round to find Remus stood behind him, and Harry, Luna and Angela smirking in amusement.

"You couldn't have mentioned he was there?" Neville asked, pretending to be annoyed.

"Why would we do that?" Luna replied with a laugh, then all five of them looked back at the sound of a splash and a lot of cheering as Cedric exploded from the surface of the water, arcing through the air before crashing down again. 

Seconds later, Sophithea shot out of the water, arms still wrapped around her friend.

"AND CEDRIC DIGGORY WINS BY A NOSE, WITH SOPHITHEA QUEEN RETURNING JUST A HEARTBEAT LATER!" Fudge's voice was jubilant as it filled the air "Which means that Mister Diggory receives eleven points and Miss Queen receives eight points. Miss Delacour, due to being unable to retreive her hostage, receives no points for the first part of The Task" As he finished speaking, there was a flash and Roger Davies appeared on the central stand, looking slightly bemused and confused. He turned around, then saw Fleur and a few of the other students helping Cedric, Heidi, Sophithea and Avalonia out of the water. 

"And now, the judges will take a few minutes to discuss the second part of the scoring, at which point they will award the marks" 

"Sophithea's currently leading, right?" Angela looked round "Do you think she'll keep her lead?"

"Cedric did come in first, and partial animagus transfiguration is impressive" Sally admitted "But the spell to bring her up that fast was..... very good" She looked down to where The Champions were getting dry and saw Fleur talking quietly to Roger and Sophithea "I think that Fleur is probably out of the running completely though. The bubblehead charm was quiet impressive, but not getting to Roger has pretty much screwed her"

"Yeah" Luna sighed, then she glanced at Harry "But it might work to our advantage in the long run" She paused "And the fact it was him instead of her....." She shrugged "We can talk to them again, just to see if they still agree"

"And if they don't?" Harry asked, but Luna merely smiled "You know what? I am not sure I want to know"

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS!" Fudge's voice cut across their discussion "The three judges have finished their deliberations, and have decided on their finals scores" He paused "For her mastery of the bubblehead charm, Miss Delacour, from Beauxbatons, has been given an additional twenty two points. This gives her a grand total of forty one points moving into The Third Task" There was a round of applause. 

"For her intriguing use of gillyweed and the surprising addition of an ascension charm, Miss Queen, from Durmstrang, has been given an additional thirty points. This gives her a grand total of fifty one points for The Third Task" There was another round of applause. 

"And finally, for his mastery of partial transfiguration, Mister Diggory of Hogwarts has been given thirty five points, putting him in the lead with a total of fifty three points for The Third Task" There was a huge round of applause as all of the Hogwarts students started clapping and cheering, and Cedric took a bow. 

"The Third Task will take place at the start of May" Fudge continued after a moment "Thank you all for coming!" 

xoxox

"We will still help you" Fleur said, and Cedric nodded "While I cannot speak for Cedric, I am even more grateful that you warned me about Gabrielle - if she had been trapped down there while I was helpless......" She trailed off, shivering "Veela do not like the water, and even if my sister was asleep, it would have been terrible for her" She looked at Luna and Harry gratefully "For what you did, I will do whatever you ask"

"And you?" Luna asked, looking at Cedric.

"Cho wouldn't have been worried, and I trust Snape to a certain degree" He paused "But my father tried to send you to Dumbledore, and he tried to use me to do it" He shook his head "I know it wasn't entirely my fault, but if what you told me was true - about dying rather than ever being under his control......" He trailed off "I will never be able to forgive myself, and I will always and forever be trying to make up for what I tried to do" Luna stared at him, then reached out and took his hand.

"If our plan works, you and Fleur will be facing off against Dumbledore and Moody, and they will not be happy and not want the country to know they took you" She said seriously "They will have nothing to lose - they are already wanted for heinous crimes - and will think nothing of two extra bodies" She paused "If the four of us survive beyond the night of The Third Task, all your debts will be paid Cedric - you will never need to feel guilty again"


	16. Interlude 3 - If Anyone Has Any Just Cause Or Impediment

Harry watched in mounting confusion as he and a red haired woman walked down the central aisle of The Great Hall. At the far end stood Albus Dumbledore, a woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes and an older man with white hair and a bright smile on his face - although he suspected it belied an evil, cold and cruel expression. 

The rest of The Hall was filled with people he half recognised - people Lucius and Draco would describe as the cream of Wizarding Society. Members of The Ministry, The Wizengamot and any number of suspected Death Eaters filled either side of the aisle. 

As his gaze drifted around The Hall, he started to notice a number of other people present as well - a number of Hogwarts Professors, past and present Order members and other people he would not, in a million years, expect to be rubbing shoulders with Death Eaters. 

But equally disturbing were the faces that were missing - Dean, Sally, Colin and Dennis. And most worryingly of all he could not see Hermione Jane Granger anywhere. 

"Why would Hermione miss my wedding?" He asked himself.

"Because she was tortured to death by Neville Longbottom six months ago" A voice came from behind him, and he turned to see Angela stood in the doorway. 

"Angela?" He turned away from the window, and took a few steps towards her, eyeing her warily. 

"It's me" She nodded "But I apparently go by Blaise here" She looked around "This is not our world, Harry" She gestured to the window "You are marrying the Weasley girl, Sally is engaged to Theodore Nott and they are both on the run after a failed insurrection, and Neville tortured Hermione and both of her parents to death in front of Her Royal Majesty Queen Ariana so he could become part of her elite guard" Angela walked over to the window, and they both looked down. 

"Queen Ariana?" Harry asked.

"Queen Ariana Dumbledore, husband of King Gellert Grindelwald" She pointed to the two figures stood with Dumbledore at the end of The Hall "Our Lord and Master" Harry stared at them in confusion and horror, then looked back at Angela.

"How....." He started, but before he could continue, the doors behind them burst open and Neville, Ron, Luna, Ginny and Harry burst in with their wands drawn.

"Her majesty was right!" Luna cried, a look of utter hatred in her eyes "KILL THE IMPOSTORS!"


	17. Quintet

"Miss Lovegood, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office before dinner" Luna looked up, then nodded.

"Thank you Professor Flitwick. I will be there" She replied with a smile "However...."

"He is also expecting Mister Potter, or Miss Granger" Filius smiled "He said that he understands he still has things to make up, and that he understands why you might not feel safe in being alone with him just yet" He paused "I can be present as well, if you wish?"

"Thank you for the offer, Professor, but I believe Hermione will be enough company for me"

"Very well - I will let him to know to expect you and Miss Granger" Filius nodded, then turned and walked off down the length of The Hall, while Luna turned back to Harry, Hermione and Neville. 

"I think this is what we have been waiting for" She said softly, glancing around "For the longest time I have been seeing Harry and me in the graveyard on the night of The Third Task, but I haven't exactly been able to see how we have got there" She paused, then smiled "If Severus wants to talk to us about what I think he wants to talk to us about, then I think we will finally learn how we get from here to there"

"You think it is Severus?" Hermione raised an eyebrow "You think it is Voldemort? He wants us there?" Luna shrugged.

"No doubt The Dark Lord has learned about my gift" She replied "Either the true nature of it, or a somewhat bastardised version, but one way or the other he would see me as a threat - more of a threat than The Ministry and possibly even more of a threat than Dumbledore and McGonagall" 

"So he would want you dead" Hermione nodded "I can understand that" She paused, then blushed "You know what I mean" Luna laughed. 

"You realise with your brains and my gift, we could easily take over the world even if I didn't use it to control anyone?" Luna folded her hands "What do you think? You and me running the country?" Hermione stared at her, her eyes going wide with a mix of surprise and horror. 

"I think that would be truly horrifying" She said after a few moments "I think our reign would be like..... like Sweet Valley High meets Nineteen Eighty Four!" Harry and Luna both stared at her in confusion.

"Is that a bad thing?" Harry asked after a few moments. Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Let me get back to you on that" She said a second later, then she looked at Luna "So - Severus is going to do talk to you about setting up something at the end of The Third Task that will transport you and Harry to the graveyard?"

"Yes" Luna nodded.

"But you aren't going to tell him the rest of the plan?" Harry asked.

"No" Luna shook her head "As much as I trust him - and I do trust him, and trust that his redemption is real and genuine - I can't see for certain whether or not he can fully protect his mind against The Dark Lord"

"You want his reactions to be real?" Hermione blinked, sitting up straight "If he knows that it won't be you and Harry, but Fleur and Cedric......" She trailed off "Not that it will be....." She paused "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course" Luna nodded.

"How have you not gone insane trying to keep the tenses and descriptions straight in your head?" Hermione stared at her "Because every time I think I have got this organised and sorted out, I realise that I don't really understand it and I have to go back and think it through again" She paused "I would write it down, but I don't want anyone finding it" Luna grinned.

"Firstly - who says I haven't gone insane?" She said "And secondly - do you have a desk, or a private room in Castle Anthrax?"

"Yes" Hermione nodded "There is a room in the tallest tower that only Neville and I have access to. I can create a desk in there"

"Then create a desk, and a notepad and write things down in that notepad" Luna said "It won't exist in the real world, and will aid your memory a great deal" She paused "I've got a journal I keep under lock and key in my private study. Only I can read it, although I have been considering letting Harry have access to it"

"Really?" Harry looked at her curiously.

"I said considering" Luna smiled "Anyway - you have complete control over the castle, except for me, and I promise I won't intrude on your privacy unless your life or your soul or your sanity is at risk"

"At least you are telling me that up front" Hermione laughed.

"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend" Luna replied "But seriously - try the notepad thing. It will improve your memory, I promise" 

"I will give it a try" Hermione nodded, then she glanced at her watch "Time for class"

xoxox

McGonagall apparated outside the cabin, then walked around the back to find Dumbledore staring out across the back garden at the mountains in the distance.

"Albus, I have news" She said, as the polyjuice illusion she was under faded away and she resumed her own form "The shopkeepers in Diagon Alley are all talking about The Tournament" She waved her wand, conjuring a chair next to the one Dumbledore was sat in, then sat down "The Quibbler has published details of The Third Task, and it seems that it is going to be open to members of the public" 

"Indeed?" Dumbledore replied without turning to face her "Did it say why Severus had chosen to do that?"

"Just that, since this was a celebration of interschool unity, it should be open to the public so that everyone could celebrate" McGonagall shrugged "It sounds reasonable, even if it does not sound like something the Severus you and I knew would say"

"Alas, Severus is not the man we knew" Dumbledore sighed "However I do believe that will give us the opportunity we have been looking for" He folded his hands across his chest "If the school is going to be open to members of the public, then one would assume it will be any members of the public?" 

"We are wanted fugitives, Albus" McGonagall pointed out, but Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively.

"I am not suggesting that we go there, Minerva" He said with a dry laugh "While I understand I have a reputation for a level of craziness, I have not yet lost complete control of my faculties....." He paused "Well - one could make an argument that since I am no longer Headmaster of Hogwarts I might have lost partial control of my faculties, but that is neither here nor there" He shook his head "No - I am suggesting that we find two volunteers, either amongst our former associates or from the general public"

"The general......." McGonagall turned to stare at him "You want to use muggles? To go into Hogwarts?" Dumbledore turned to face her.

"We have lost most of our contacts on the inside, Minerva, and the Lovegood girl is now more dangerous than ever" He said emphatically "While I do not want to use muggles, and believe me I do not want to use the unforgivable curses. However I believe we will not have a better chance to get the Lovegood girl and make sure she will no longer be a threat to our society" He paused, and took a deep breath "I realise this might be crossing the line, but it will serve the greater good" McGonagall stared back at him for a few moments, then gave a brief, reluctant nod.

"Did The Quibbler provide any more details? The date of The Third Task? How the general public will get tickets?" Dumbledore asked "Why The Quibbler is reporting this instead of The Daily Prophet?"

"I will try to bring back a copy tomorrow - I suspect the story will run for a few days yet" McGonagall smiled "And as for why The Quibbler was reporting the story and not The Daily Prophet - well, that is an interesting story"

xoxox

"Good evening, Miss Lovegood, Miss Granger" Severus stood up as Luna and Hermione walked into his office.

"Headmaster" Hermione replied, and Luna nodded.

"Please - have a seat" He gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk "Miss Lovegood - I believe you have had some good news?"

"You've heard already?" Luna asked in surprise as she took her seat "My father only just let me know - how do you know already, sir?"

"I have friends in Diagon Alley" Severus smiled "They all received The Daily Prophet's announcement today" Luna returned his smile.

"My father learned about it last night - he bought up their stocks of ink, paper and one of their printing presses for a very, very good deal" She smirked "He has already been approached by Fudge and a few other toadies, but he said he is taking a week to put his affairs in order"

"Is one of you going to tell me what is going on, or am I going to have to make you?" Hermione asked, glancing between the two of them. Luna gestured to Severus, who nodded.

"It would seem that at around 9 o'clock this morning, The Daily Prophet went bankrupt" Severus said, causing Hermione to gasp in surprise. She turned to stare at Luna, who gave a happy nod.

"Bankrupt?" Hermione asked in surprise "How? Why? How?"

"Three very good questions" Luna laughed "It seems that printing lies, attacking the Houses of Potter and Lovegood and generally trying to force the public to accept a truth that doesn't exist is not good for circulation or profit or business" She grinned "Their sales have been falling since that Skeeter woman started attacking us, and despite trying to make up for it over the past few weeks it seems they have been unable to stop the flow - the haemorrhaging - of money they have suffered and today it seems they have finally been bled dry" 

"So The Quibbler is now the paper of record?" Hermione blinked "The first paper of the magical world?"

"Who could have seen that coming?" Luna smirked at her, making her laugh.

"While I am sure you will be discussing this for a long while, ladies, I did actually bring you here for another reason" Severus said calmly, and they both turned back to face him.

"Sorry, sir"

"Sorry, sir"

"Do not worry about it" Severus took a deep breath "As you know, I served as a spy for Dumbledore, before he went on the run" He paused "I decided to continue in that role, and have been in contact with The Dark Lord since Dumbledore fled. I have used the events to secure my position inside The Death Eaters as one of The Dark Lord's most loyal"

"I can see that being helpful" Luna said softly. 

"However in order to ensure I can keep this place, I sometimes have to feed The Dark Lord information" He continued "Sometimes it can be misinformation and I can claim that I was lead astray or plans changed before I could inform him of the truth, but other times it has to be the truth" He took a deep breath "With the news that The Third Task is going to be open to the public, The Dark Lord has commanded to do something that I am not entirely happy about"

"Does it involve public nudity?" Luna asked, making Severus stare at her in disbelief.

"No" He said.

"Thank Merlin for that" Luna said, miming wiping her brow with relief "So - what is it that he wants you do?"

"He wants me to make The Tri-Wizard Chalice - the prize at the end of The Third Task - a portkey. It will take whoever touches it to a graveyard in a town called Little Hangleton" He paused "When whoever goes missing goes missing, The Dark Lord is hoping it will cause so much uproar and disruption that he will be able to sneak his agents into Hogwarts and kidnap both you and Mister Potter without anyone noticing" Both Luna and Hermione snorted in amusement "May I ask what you find so amusing?"

"Firstly, the idea that anyone could take Luna and Harry without the four of us knowing is beyond laughable" Hermione pointed out "I can absolutely assure you that anyone trying to take them will not be able to do it unnoticed, and will not be able to do it without a fight"

"Secondly, no one - NO ONE - takes Harry without a fight" Luna said flatly "And I know the phrase 'over my dead body' is a tad melodramatic, but in this instance I mean it literally. If Voldemort wants him, he will have to kill me - and I suspect my four friends - first. And trust me - that will not be all that easy to do"

"Damn right" Hermione nodded.

"Never the less, I just thought I would warn you that I am going to have to make The Chalice a portkey, and that whoever gets to it first will be transported to the graveyard" He paused "I will try to ensure they survive - hopefully they will be held as a hostage and when The Dark Lord returns with your dead bodies, I can free them" He blushed slightly "That did not exactly come out as I meant"

"There has been a lot of that today" Luna glanced at Hermione "I take it you don't want us to warn the three of them?"

"I realise it means thrusting them into danger without warning, but I need them to react with true and realistic surprise when they arrive at the graveyard" He sighed "I need them to be appropriately scared"

"With all due respect, do you really expect Cedric, Fleur or Sophithea to be scared? Or to show it?" Hermione asked "They wouldn't show fear if Voldemort was stood right in front of them"

"That is as maybe, but I need their reactions to be genuine" Severus repeated "So - I have your word? You won't tell them?" Luna smiled.

"I promise I won't go running of to tell them about it" She said.

"Ditto" Hermione nodded.

"Thank you" Severus let out a sigh of relief "I know it will be hard, knowing what you know, but if I can make sure that The Dark Lord trusts me, then I can lead him into a situation where we can trap and defeat him"

"Yes, sir" Hermione nodded "Have you heard anything about Dumbledore, sir? Has he tried to get in touch?"

"No" Severus shook his head regretfully "I was hoping that he would contact me - try to keep me in his service as The Dark Lord has - however I think that since my actions in liberating the prison, taking over the school and other areas have made him think he cannot trust me any more"

"It is probably for the best" Hermione said in a supportive tone "While having a spy in Dumbledore's camp would be helpful, I think that trying to play both sides - especially now that both sides are so far apart - is what got you in to trouble in the first place" She paused, then added "Sir"

"And it was Dumbledore's departure and your promotion that ensured Voldemort trusted you more than he used to, yes?" Luna asked, and Severus nodded "So while it does mean we don't have someone to spy on The Great and Powerful Oz, Voldemort is a far more powerful and far more dangerous enemy, so having you in his..... employ is a much better situation" 

"I would tend to agree" Severus smiled "And now I think you should go to be getting off to dinner. I don't want your friends storming my office to save you from me"

"That would be a little unfortunate" Luna laughed, then she and Hermione stood up "Thank you for telling us about this, sir. I promise we will use this information responsibly" 

"I would expect nothing less, Miss Lovegood"

xoxox

"Did you learn what you need to know?" Harry asked as Luna and Hermione sat down on either side of him.

"A portkey" Luna replied "All we have to do is convince Sophithea to let the two of us get to the trophy first, and we will be where we want to go" She paused "And since I am almost completely certain we get to where we want to go, we must get there first"

"That kind of makes sense, but since we are talking about ending the war, killing the most dangerous and powerful dark lord in a generation and gaining our freedom, I think we shouldn't take any chances" Harry said.

"Oh yes" Luna smiled "And Voldemort isn't a dark lord, he is a Dark Lord, with everything that that entails - it is what makes him so dangerous" She glanced at Hermione "In the same way you have the potential to become a Light Warlock"

"I do?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Those who are natural mages - who connect with magic on an instinctual level - can use it for light or for dark" Luna explained "The problem is, having such a powerful connection to magic is very.... alluring and seductive, and most people are seduced by it - seduced and betrayed" Hermione smiled at her reference.

"So they become Dark Lords, or Dark Ladies?" She asked.

"It takes a very, very strong willed person not to give in to all that power" Luna continued "Those that do - and who can truly connect with the power inside them - become Light Warlocks, some of the most powerful mages in our society" She smiled at Hermione "So - you know - no pressure"

"None whatsoever" Hermione rolled her eyes "I don't suppose you know...."

"In the last thousand years..... three, I think?" Luna closed her eyes for a moment "Yeah, three Light Warlocks in Britain, compared to around two dozen Dark Lords and Ladies" She opened her eyes again "According to the histories and the stories, not even The Founders were Light Warlocks, so I wouldn't worry about trying to fulfil a destiny, Hermione - just be the best person you can be" She shrugged "That is all any of us can be"

xoxox

Severus laid down his quill, then took a deep breath. 

He had been putting this off for too long - the pain in his mark had been growing daily as The Dark Lord became more and more impatient. 

Waving his hand, he sealed the door to the office, ensuring no one could open it except him, then he cast another spell to blind all of the portraits in the office. He had learned the spell from Dumbledore who had - it turned out - used it repeatedly to hide his numerous sins and misdemeanours. 

He walked over to a cupboard that was now hidden by a fidelius charm, and opened it up. Reaching inside, he pulled out the Death Eater cloak and hood and laid them on the desk, before turning back and removing a small wooden box containing a second wand. 

He removed his outer robes, then put the Death Eater robes and hood on, then put his wand in the draw on the right of his desk, sealing it with a complex locking spell before opening the wooden box and taking out the second wand and slipping it into his robes.

He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. 

"I am night. I am one too strong to fight. I come from dark, where shadows dwell" He lowered the hood over his eyes, completely obscuring his face "To see me is your own death knell, so go away and leave my sight, or you will fall to endless night" He took a step back.

"I am the thing that monsters fear" He said softly, then turned on the spot and vanished.

xoxox

Cedric put his knife and fork down on his plate, then looked across The Great Hall as Fleur and Gabrielle stood up and walked towards the doors. 

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and strode purposefully towards them, reaching them just as they left The Hall.

"Miss Delacour?" He called out, and both Fleur and Gabrielle turned to face him "My apologies" He blushed "Fleur - may I speak to you? In private?"

"I do not like to leave my sister wandering about the school alone" Fleur replied, then she glanced at Gabrielle as the younger girl let out a stream of French, only some of which Cedric understood "Gabrielle! Excuse me a moment, Mister Diggory" Fleur looked at her sister, and for the next few minutes they carried on a conversation in French.

He tried to follow it, but a few moments in he became completely confused, and simply watched in silence as they continued talking. 

A few minutes later, they finished talking and Fleur looked back at Cedric. 

"Mister Diggory, if you would like to accompany my sister and I back to our rooms, you can talk to us there" She said "If that is acceptable to you?"

"Of course" Cedric nodded, then he, Fleur and Gabrielle set off along the corridor towards the Beauxbatons quarters.

xoxox

Severus appeared in front of Malfoy Manor, then strode towards the main gates. Raising his arm, the Dark Mark glowed and a moment later a pattern in the intricate lattice glowed in response and the gates became semi-transparent. 

He walked forward, passing through the gates as if they weren't there, then walked up to the front door, pausing it open and entering inside.

Five minutes later, he walked into the main drawing room, then went down on one knee.

"My Lord" He bowed his head "Forgive me for not coming earlier, but the demands on my job have become more onerous with The Tournament and this is the first time I have been able to get away"

"I understand, Severus" The quiet, hissing voice came from a large chair in the corner of the room "You presence here is welcome, as always. With what information do you come to us?"

"My Lord, I believe I know how we can capture Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood" Severus kept his head bowed "The Ministry has decided that The Third Task of The Tournament will be open to the general public. The exact details have not been organised yet, but it will be done partly on a ticket basis, and partly on a lottery basis" He paused "While I think that Director Bones might ensure that some of our more prominent associates cannot get tickets, it is possible that some of our lesser known allies might be able to enter the lottery and - with assistance from our friends in The Ministry - ensure that have winning tickets"

"And how that will help us, Severus?" Voldemort hissed.

"The goal of the final task is to retrieve a trophy - The Tri-Wizard Chalice - from the centre of a maze" Severus replied quietly "My plan is to turn the chalice in to a portkey, so that whichever of the Champions touches it, it will portkey them away to the graveyard you are planning on using for your revivication ceremony" He took a breath "In the chaos and confusion it will cause our associates can take Potter and Lovegood and portkey them away"

"The wards will allow this?" Severus heard a voice from behind him, but didn't flinch as Lucius Malfoy walked in.

"Since my promotion, I have complete control over the wards. I can ensure the chalice will be a portkey, and that any portkeys our associates can carry will not be detected or prevented from working" He rolled his head around his neck for a moment "Potter and Lovegood have also made friends with the Bulgarian girl and the Veela and even with Diggory even after he tried to betray them to Dumbledore"

"So if we kill whichever one wins The Tournament in front of Potter, it will upset and anger him?" Malfoy asked.

"I believe it will break him" Severus said "Him and the Lovegood bitch. The moment they appear in the graveyard, you kill the Champion - it will break the two of them and then you can torture them and kill them as you see fit" He finally raised his head and looked up at the back of the chair "My Lord - are you sure you wish to kill the Lovegood girl? If Dumbledore was correct - about her being a powerful seer - then I understand if you might fear her power....."

"CRUCIO!" The spell came from behind him, causing him to fall to the ground, writhing in agony. Half a minute later, the spell was removed, and he took a deep breath.

"I fear nobody, Severus" Voldemort said as if nothing had happened "If I do not fear Dumbledore and I do not fear Potter then why would I fear this little girl?"

"I apologise if I misspoke, My Lord" Severus slowly pushed himself to his knees again, keeping his head bowed "All I wished to suggest was that if the Lovegood girl is as powerful as Dumbledore believes then perhaps you could put her skills to use, instead of killing her"

"I have considered that, Severus" Voldemort said "However there is another possibility that I have considered. That Dumbledore has dangerously underestimated the power of this girl's visions. That she can see more than she tells. And any girl - any person - who can see that much is a danger to us all" He paused "I fear no mortal man or woman Severus, but this girl...... if this girl can see as much I believe, then she has transcended mere mortality and I - Lord Voldemort - cannot permit such a woman to exist" 

"Yes, My Lord" Severus gave a brief nod.

"I will ensure that two of my loyal servants will be in the crowd for The Third Task" Voldemort said "Once the victorious Champion is portkeyed to my location, and their absence is discovered, you will instruct my agents to move in and take Potter and Lovegood as well" 

"Yes, My Lord" Severus nodded again "I will ensure they will be able to escape, or at least that they will not be caught and able to talk"

"I would expect nothing less, Severus" Voldemort replied "Now return to your school, and ensure that everything is ready. Harry Potter is essential to my revivication ritual, and I want you to make sure that his health and well being is your number one priority"

"Yes, My Lord" Severus gave a final nod, then rose to his feet "If I may leave, My Lord?"

"You may"

"Thank you, My Lord" Severus backed out of the room, then turned and walked back towards the front door.

"Severus" Lucius' voice came from behind him, and he turned to face the silver haired man.

"Yes, Lucius?"

"Why did you ask for two of our junior associates?" Lucius stared at him questioningly "There are plenty of us with children at Hogwarts and with the ability to go there at will" Severus stared at him for a few moments, then took a deep breath.

"The day that Minerva McGonagall escaped Ministry custody I was being questioned by Amelia Bones" Severus paused "I gave her a list of the senior Death Eaters - eighteen names, including you, your wife and a number of other distinguished citizens" Lucius stared at him, looking aghast.

"Why would you do that?"

"I was only trusted in The Ministry because Dumbledore vouched for me" Severus said in a quiet, urgent tone "Dumbledore vouched for me at the end of the war which kept me out of jail. However no in The Ministry trusted me - especially not Amelia Bones and her staff" He paused "By giving them your names - names they would have already had on some sort of list anyway - I cemented my position as a member of the side of light, fighting against The Dark Lord"

"And how do you know they will not come for us?" Lucius demanded.

"They won't" Severus shook his head "I have convinced them that it is better to keep an eye on all of you for the moment, rather than arrest you when there is very little to arrest you or charge you with" He smiled "I also made sure she would keep the list private - to a few people she can trust - so once the ritual is complete, and Our Lord regains power, we can arrest and execute those who know the names" Lucius gazed at him.

"You believe it will keep us safe?" He asked after a moment.

"As long as you do not do anything to draw undue attention to yourself, Lucius" Severus said calmly "And if you, or any of the others who are named on the list are involved in the plot to kidnap one of the wizarding worlds most important citizens, or his girlfriend, then I believe that would class as drawing undue attention" 

"You had better be right, Severus" Lucius snapped, then he turned and walked away. Severus turned and walked the other way, continuing on his way to the front door. 

xoxox

Fleur watched Gabrielle close the door to their room, then she turned back to Cedric.

"So, Mister Diggory, what did you want to talk about?" She asked. Cedric smiled.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend" He said "I know that we are competitors in The Tournament, but given what we know about the final task, and what else we know, I thought that we could go out for lunch and maybe spend the afternoon together" Fleur stared at him for a moment, making him blush.

"We don't have to talk about strategies, or exchange ideas. You can tell me about your family, and about growing up in France, and I can tell you about what life is like here and so on" He shrugged "I just thought it might be fun" Fleur continued to stare at him, then smiled.

"I thought you were dating that Chang girl?" She asked. 

"We broke up" Cedric admitted "It has been coming for a while, but it turns out that she didn't like that Heidi was 'the thing I would miss most'" He paused "I tried to explain that they couldn't use someone who was underage, but she didn't believe me"

"And you couldn't tell her the truth because of our promise" Fleur said, and he nodded "You didn't think about asking Luna to talk to her?"

"No" Cedric shook his head "Like I said - I think it has been coming for a while and the hostage thing was just the final straw" He paused "I am not looking for a big, wild, can't eat, can't sleep, ass-backwards kind of romantic thing, Miss Delacour. I just thought we could go out to lunch and have a nice day together"

"In that case, Mister Diggory, I accept" She paused "I think our friends would probably be willing to escort my sister aorund the village for the day, so we will be free to romp and roam as we see fit" She smiled "I will see you then, then" 

"See you then" He smiled "And have a nice evening" He gave a polite bow, then turned and walked back off down the corridor. Fleur watched him for a few moments, then turned and walked into her room to find Gabrielle reading. 

"So, what did he want?" She asked. 

"He asked me out" Fleur replied. Gabrielle gazed at her for a moment, then smiled.

"About damn time" She said with a smirk.

xoxox

Severus reappeared in his office, then steadied himself against the desk. For reasons he hadn't figured out, coming back through the wards was always slight harder, and slightly more disorientating, than leaving through them. 

Once he had regained his balance, he walked over to the mirror and pulled back the hood.

"You are The Headmaster of Hogwarts. You are the paragon of light, cloaked in shadow. You work for the downfall of The Dark Lord but all the while you hide your true face" He took a deep breath "I am light. I am the thing that monsters fear" He turned, then walked over to the cupboard and put his robes back into it, followed by the wand. 

Turning he picked up his normal robes off the desk and put them on, then unsealed the drawer and took out his wand. 

He took a deep breath, then waved his hand and cancelled both spells on his office.

"Headmaster?" A portrait in the corner called out to him, and he walked over to stand in front of it.

"Headmaster Cottle" He gave a polite nod "How may I be of assistance?"

"Two and a half hours, Headmaster Snape" Arabeth Cottle stared back at him "What has been going on for two and a half hours? We've been blind and deaf - what has been going on?"

"You answer to me, do you not?" He asked quietly "All former Headmasters answer to the current master of this office. My will is your will" Cottle glared at him, then gave a single, reluctant nod.

"Yes, Headmaster"

"There are things going on that have to remain confidential" He said "I am afraid that is all I can say" He stared at her for a few moments, then turned and walked over to the door to his office. Pulling it open, he glanced back.

"Good night"

xoxox

Two days later, Dumbledore stormed back into the cabin with a sheaf of parchments in his hand. McGonagall looked up as he stalked into the front room and slammed the letters down on the desk. 

"Something wrong, Albus?" She asked, turning in her seat to face him.

"No one!" He slammed his hand down on the parchments, then picked them up and threw them across the room "Thirteen of our former associates, and not one of them is willing to help us" He turned to stare at her "We saved their lives over and over again - they owe us their very lives, and now they do not want to even acknowledge we exist?" He drew his wand and cast a series of spells, causing the parchments to burst into flames.

"ALBUS!" McGonagall jumped to her feet and started dousing the flames. Dumbledore lowered his wand.

"I apologise, Minerva" He said, taking a deep breath "I should not have let my anger get the best of me" He cast a few spells to put out the rest of the flames, then he lowered himself into the chair by the fire.

"I take it no one in The Order will help us?"

"It would appear after Molly and Amos were arrested, we are most definitely persona non grata amongst our former friends" He closed his eyes "We fought for them - we saved their lives, more than once, and they are not even willing to listen to us" He took another deep breath "I should let them all burn" His eyes flicked open "We should leave the country, and when the Lovegood bitch takes over they can all rue the day they abandoned our friendship" McGonagall stared at him for a few minutes, then shook her head.

"You don't mean that" Dumbledore looked over at her.

"No" He said, sighing "No. I wish I did, but I don't" He closed his eyes "Since we are the only ones who know the danger that this girl - this creature - presents, it is incumbent on us to do our best to prevent her from taking over our world even if we are reviled and hated for doing so" He suddenly stood up "If our friends will not help us, it leaves only one option"

"If you say 'our enemies' I will be very disappointed in you" McGonagall said darkly.

"No" Dumbledore shook his head, smiling for the first time since he had entered the room "Although I believe that Tom would want Miss Lovegood dead as much as we do, I am not certain that he would be willing to assist us in this endeavour" He walked over to the fireplace, staring down at into the flames "We will find two members of the public who have won tickets to The Third Task, and put them under our control"

"Imperious curse?" McGonagall asked.

"I am as loathed to use it as you are, Minerva, but the very fate of our society hangs in the balance - there is nothing I would not consider, or do, at this point" He slowly turned to face her "Are you going to help me?"

xoxox

He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling of his quarters. Rationally he knew that he had very little choice. A decade before he had made his decision, and he had had no regrets about that decision.

But if what Severus was saying was the truth - and, quite honestly, he had no reason to doubt his former comrade in arms - then The Dark Lord was going to return, and return very soon. 

Somehow, he thought, The Dark Lord would not look favourably on those who had betrayed him. Merlin - even the ones that had bought their way out of prison were probably on his list.

There was only one way out - only one way he could be free, or at least alive, at the end of The Tournament would be to flee. To run now, before The Dark Lord or any of his minions came looking. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out in a long, slow exhale.

"Tomorrow, I leave"


	18. Countdown

Luna's eyes flicked open, and she blinked a few times, clearing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Well" She said to herself "That is going to make things a little more complicated" She replayed the memory in her head, watching as Ginny approached her and Harry at breakfast, desperate to talk to them about forgiveness and the future. 

In her mind's eye she saw the various futures play out, from the most benign where they spoke to each other for a few minutes then Ginny walked away, to the incredibly catastrophic where Ginny got very angry and drew her wand and started throwing curses at her. Her friends got involved and the fight escalated until the staff were forced to intervene. 

She closed her eyes, flushing the images out of her immediate memory. The bodies..... 

"No" She shook her head "It's not going to end that way" She pushed herself up until she was sitting, leaning against the headboard "While it might make life easier having that little.... girl expelled, there are too many things I can't see, even now" She stared down at her hands "A death, even an injury could screw everything up" She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes, letting her mind drift off. 

A few seconds later, a few more futures drifted through her mind.

xoxox

"Whatever happens, don't get angry with her" Harry and Hermione looked at Luna in confusion.

"Have we just given up on saying good morning?" Harry asked with a slight smile.

"Good morning. Whatever happens, don't get angry with her" Luna repeated. 

"With who?" Hermione asked.

"You'll see" Luna said, then she smiled "Good morning - how did you sleep?" Harry and Hermione stared at her in utter bemusement.

"Sweetie - can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my love"

"Is there a chance that all the stress of the coming unpleasantness has....." Harry trailed off, trying to work out how to phrase the rest of his question.

"Driven you batty?" Hermione suggested. Luna laughed.

"No more so than usual" She replied, then gestured for them to come closer "The inestimable Miss Weasley has noticed that we have been more friendly to Cedric than he had any right to expect after he tried to send us to Dumbledore. More so, since he knew what he was doing" She looked around "So she is going to ask us - Harry and me - if we are ready to forgive her"

"Okay....." Hermione replied, but Luna held up a hand.

"Just before I woke up, my mind was flooded with a series of futures. When I replayed them, and graded them from best to worst, I saw one where the staff had to intervene to bring a huge magical battle under control" She paused "Even when I reviewed it, I couldn't see all of the possible outcomes - too many people could get hurt and any one of them being injured could change everything"

"So what you are saying is that whatever happens, don't get angry with her?" Harry asked.

"That is a good idea" Luna smiled "Why didn't I think of that?" 

xoxox

Angela and Sally looked across The Great Hall, then exchanged amused smiles.

"Who would have thought?" Sally said in a quiet voice as they saw Fleur and Cedric sitting next to each other, talking quietly - almost intimately "So - what do you think?"

"Two Champions?" Angela shrugged "I think without.... their plan to go walking in France it would probably be a bit harder to make it work. Their next encounter would be fighting each other to get to the trophy, and that probably wouldn't encourage mutual admiration or bonding"

"But facing off against two of the most powerful mages in the western world will?" Sally snorted in amusement.

"Well - if they come back alive" Angela said with amusement, then sighed "The Regent has faith - and I think we should have faith in her"

"Of course" Sally grinned back at her girlfriend, then she looked to her left "And speaking of faith, I guess it is time for the floor show" Angela followed her gaze to see Ginny walking up to where Harry, Hermione and Luna were sat.

"Well - this should be fun" She slipped her hand into Sally's "Should we intervene?"

"I think Luna's got it under control" Sally replied "But..... just in case" She slipped her other hand into her robes and grasped her wand. Angela did the same, then they both watched as Ginny came to a halt in front of their three friends.

xoxox

"You wish to go to Madame Puddifoots?" Cedric raised an eyebrow curiously. 

"I have heard it is quite a nice place to go for lunch" Fleur said "Some of the other students - I overheard them talking" Cedric smiled.

"It is generally considered a place you take someone for a romantic date" He said quietly "Which is not something I am against, but according to some of the other students who've been there it looks like a bunch of teddy bears got drunk in there and threw up all of their stuffing" Fleur burst out laughing.

"Very well - perhaps we will go somewhere else" She said agreeably, then she realised the entire Hall seemed to have fallen silent. Looking around, she saw everyone was staring at Harry, Luna and Hermione and the red haired girl now stood in front of them. 

"Oh this won't end well" Cedric said in a near whisper.

"Who....."

"Remember what happened at The Yule Ball?" He bit his lip "The reason that Harry and Luna were both willing to forgive me if we agree to..... go walking in France?" He nodded across The Hall "She was the other one"

"Oh" Fleur watched them for a moment "Should we......"

"No" Cedric shook his head "They can handle it" He paused, then lowered his hand to his side "But just in case....."

xoxox

Sophithea walked through the Entrance Hall and stopped at the door to The Great Hall, watching as Ginny faced Luna, Harry and Hermione. 

She glanced around, and - seeing that none of Luna's friends was going to interfere with the confrontation - she simply leaned against the door, resting her hand on the top of her wand.

xoxox

Luna gazed up at Ginny, hands folded in her lap. Harry and Hermione were sat on either side of her, both resting their hands on the table. 

_'Say nothing'_ She said in their minds _'If she wants to beg forgiveness, she has to be the one to do it'_ Neither of them responded, but since they both stayed silent, she assumed that they got the message. That or they were just waiting to see what happened.

Ginny stared down at her for a few moments more, then took a deep breath.

"Good morning, Luna" 

"Miss Weasley" Luna inclined her head.

"May I talk to you?" 

"Aren't you talking to me now?"

"I meant in private" Ginny frowned.

"The last time you tried to get me alone you tried to send me to a man who held me prisoner after sending my father to prison" Luna replied in the same calm, gentle voice "So you'll forgive me if I am reluctant to be alone with you again"

"I apologised for that" Ginny snapped, then she took a deep breath "May I sit down?"

"It's a free country" Luna shrugged "At least until Voldemort takes over, or Dumbledore returns and declares himself as God-Emperor" Hermione snorted in amusement. Ginny looked at her in confusion, then took a seat on the bench opposite her the three friends.

"I already apologised for trying to send you to Dumbledore" Ginny said in a quiet, intense voice "My mother tricked me - she played on my......"

"Credulous Simplicity?" Hermione suggested, making Ginny furrow her brow.

"My what?"

"The fact you are a stupid little girl" Harry explained, then glanced at Luna "Sorry - the fact you are somewhat inexperienced and can't tell when people are lying to you"

"I trusted my parents" Ginny said passionately "Wouldn't you?" Harry and Luna simply stared back at her, while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Did you really just ask them that?" She said "Because it's not helping your cause" Ginny blinked, then blushed.

"Sorry - sorry. I just want to know why you have forgiven Cedric and you haven't forgiven me?" She asked, still slightly pink.

"Mister Potter, would you like to field this question?" Luna asked, looking to her left.

"Why yes, Miss Lovegood, I think I will" Harry looked back at Ginny "Whether we have forgiven Cedric or not is, quite frankly, none of your business. Maybe we have, or maybe we have just come to an agreement that we won't bother him if he doesn't bother us" He stared at her darkly "But he has promised to leave us alone, and he has made it clear that he is truly, deeply sorry for what he did and that he can never make up for what he almost did to us - what he almost condemned us to" He slowly got to his feet "You, however, are just worried about your hurt feelings. You still think - somewhere in your twisted, warped brain - that you and I can get together and live happily ever after, despite the fact everyone else can see I am truly happy with Luna" He shook his head "You are only thinking about your self. How this affects you, and your future. Cedric knows that he screwed up and put our lives at risk, and he is truly, truly sorry. All you care about it that we are not talking to you and how your future will be messed up because of that" He stared at her for a moment longer "When you are ready to apologise, and truly mean it, then we will be ready to listen" 

Ginny stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked out of The Hall without looking back. Harry looked around, finally noticing that almost everyone in The Hall - including most of the staff - was watching him.

"Tip your waiters, folks. We're here all weekend"

xoxox

Dumbledore walked down Diagon Alley, occasionally glancing from side to side, then walked up the steps of Gringotts bank, into the lobby and stopped at the first free teller.

"Please tell Rongar that Marakin Delane needs to see him" He said calmly.

"We don't answer to your kind, wizard" The goblin replied without looking up.

"I said" Dumbledore took a deep breath, then lowered his voice "Tell Rongar that Marakin Delane needs to see him" The goblin glanced up at him, then quirked an eyebrow.

"Rongar has been assigned to the dragon pits for a number of transgressions" The goblin said flatly "He will see no one, especially not one of your kind, until his term is complete" Dumbledore stared at the goblin darkly.

"You will tell Rongar I am here, you feckless piece of cave munching rock dweller, or I will bring down a world of pain upon you" Dumbledore hissed. The goblin stared back at him, then smiled.

"So you wand wavers do have some spirit" He laughed, revealing two rows of sharp teeth "And here I thought you were all lazy, useless and fat" He jumped down from the block he was standing on and walked round to the front of the counter "Follow me, Delane" He strode off without looking back, forcing Dumbledore to follow him.

xoxox

Lucius walked through Diagon Alley, then turned down Knockturn Alley and into a potions shop that catered to a very exclusive group of customers. 

"Mr Malfoy" The shop owner - a very obsequious man named Edward Gordon - walked out from behind the counter and held out his hand. Lucius shook it, then lowered his hand to his side "To what do I owe the honour?"

"I need the following ingredients" Lucius handed him a rolled up parchment "They must be fresh, and entirely pristine. The potion, and the ritual, is the most important thing I will ever do in my life" He paused, then lowered his voice "And if this ritual goes wrong, there is every chance I will be killed in ways too horrible to describe. But be assured, Mr Gordon, I have made arrangements that if I die because of your incompetence, then you will die soon after" He smiled "As will your wife and your children - although their deaths will be infinitely more painful" Gordon stared back at him.

"I understand, Mr Malfoy" He gave a single nod "I will give you my best" He paused "When do you need them by?"

"I will return in a week" Lucius smiled "I trust I do not need to tell you what will happen should you betray me to the authorities?" Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the shop. 

With a quick look around, he walked back on to Diagon Alley and along to the public floo point. 

xoxox

"Mr Delane" Rongar glanced up from his desk "What do you want today?"

"I require the payments we discussed" Dumbledore said in a firm voice. The goblin stared at him, then shook his head.

"The bank manager has locked the accounts. It is no longer possible for me to access them without permissions from a senior accountant"

"Then get the permission"

"I would have to have a reason, and this would require crossing two of our most...... important customers" The goblin stared at him impassively "It would have to be a good reason" Dumbledore stared back at him.

"It is within my power to lay my hands on The Sword of Gryffindor" Dumbledore said carefully "I can return it to the Goblin Nation" Rongar's eyes flashed for a moment, then he smiled.

"I will speak with my manager, Mr Dumbledore" He said sharply "And understand - while your current circumstances are not unknown to us, we do not appreciate the use of disguises and other such methods of deceit within our walls"

"My apologies, Rongar" Dumbledore bowed his head "However, until I can walk the streets as a free man, I cannot appear on the streets as myself" He paused "If I can be assured of sanctuary within the walls of Gringotts......"

"We cannot insert ourselves into wand wavers' business" Rongar waved his hand dismissively "If we were to grant you sanctuary, your Ministry would accuse us of taking sides" He paused "We make no judgements on whether you are a criminal, as The Ministry says, and by the same token, we cannot protect you from The Ministry should they make a legitimate request under any of the several treaties we have had enforced upon us" He smiled another vicious toothy smile "Return here with The Sword of Gryffindor within the week, and I will see what I can do about your payments. Any longer than that and I can make no promises" Dumbledore stared at him, then span on his heal and stalked out.

xoxox

Lucius walked into Malfoy Manor and went straight to the drawing room, dropping to one knee almost as soon as he entered.

"Speak to me, Lucius" A soft, seductive voice came from the chair facing the fire.

"Gordon is procuring the potion ingredients, My Lord" Lucius said, bowing his head "He said they will be ready within the week, and I have impressed upon him the need for them to be the best of the best" He paused "Is everything else prepared?"

"It is" The voice replied, then there was a pause "You wish to tell me something, Lucius. I can see it in your thoughts. Speak - I would hear would you would say"

"My Lord - since you were forced in to exile, I have maintained my position in society and carried out your work by all the means I could" Lucius said carefully "So I would suggest that Pettigrew conduct the ritual, and that I, along with your other servants, be summoned after you have regained your form"

"Why?" The question hung in the air.

"Because I fear that Snape has betrayed us" Lucius said "And that if I am right, and The DMLE or Dumbledore's Order, or other forces I am not yet aware of, are waiting for us, then I, and your other faithful servants, can continue you work come what may" He paused, hoping that The Dark Lord would buy his explanation. 

"While what you say does make sense, Lucius, I wonder if there is not something else" The voice said softly. Lucius tensed, waiting for the punishment "However, what you say is wise, so we will proceed as you say" There was a moment's silence, then Voldemort continued in a much darker tone "But, dear Lucius, if you do not respond to the summons, I will make your suffering legendary"

"Yes, My Lord, I understand"

"Then go. Do what you must. For the time draws nigh when I will return, and then I will once more walk the earth - and the stars themselves will hide"

xoxox

"Merlin's pants, he is a bit of a drama queen, isn't he?" 

xoxox

Dumbledore apparated behind The Hogs Head, glancing up at back of his brother's bar for a moment, then turned and walked up the road that lead towards Hogwarts. 

Twenty minutes later, he reached the edge of the ward boundaries and came to a halt. Drawing his wand, he cast a number of light diagnostic spells.

"Just as I thought" He sighed "Severus and Amelia have ensured I can't cross the wards without setting off all sorts of alarms and pain" He paused "But there is also a possibility they have overlooked something" He took a few steps back and closed his eyes, then a moment later he transformed into a tiny bumblebee. 

He hovered in the air for a few seconds, then flew forward as fast as he could, crossing the ward boundary a moment later. He continued to fly into the grounds, then came to a halt a yard or so inside.

He hovered for another few moments, then flew off towards the castle.

xoxox

"On the upside, he isn't here to kidnap or kill us" Luna said to herself, glancing around the library "And even if he does get what he wants, it will only affect The Order and not us" She bit her lip "It will make him more powerful and make his destiny more certain, but that might not be such a bad thing....... at least not for us" She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes "And if he is arrested now, our entire plan will be thrown in to chaos" Her eyes flashed open "I am not a goddess, nor am I the ruler of the world. We aren't in danger, so what do I care?"

xoxox

The bumblebee flew through the castle, ending up in front of The Headmaster's Door. Turning around in midair, he transformed back into his human form. 

He stared up at the gargoyle over the door for a moment, then drew his wand.

"Alohamora" He said quietly, and the gargoyle sprang aside then the door opened. Putting his wand away, Dumbledore strode inside and up the stairs.

xoxox

Hermione walked into the library, then flomped down at the table opposite Luna.

"Something vexes thee, dear one?" Luna asked with a smile, putting her book down. Hermione looked back at her, then blushed.

"Is this something you know, or something you are actually curious about?" She enquired.

"Right now, I have something else I am keeping an eye on" Luna replied "So lets assume I don't know what you are going to ask me" She leaned forward, resting her head on her hands "So - what's up?"

"It's Neville" Hermione said with a sigh "You know that we've been....... advancing our relationship?" Luna giggled.

"I haven't been spying on you" She said, still smiling, then mimed a cross over her chest "Cross my heart and hope to fry" Hermione rolled her eyes "But there are some things that are hard to miss. You and Neville are spending more time on your own, as are Angela and Sally, and Harry and me" She shrugged "We are all growing up, sweetie - it is a fact of life" She paused "So you and Neville have been advancing your relationship, but there's something wrong?"

"I think he is worried that he is pushing me too fast" Hermione lowered her voice "When we're alone in The Dreamland, we get so far and then he just stops" She picked up a scrap of parchment and started toying with it "I know we are too young to be going too far, but......"

"But you want to at least do some...... experimenting?" Luna asked, making Hermione blush even more. Luna giggled again, then she took a deep breath "Okay - I can give you one of two pieces of advice...... hold on" She closed her eyes. Hermione watched her in silence for nearly a minute before Luna opened her eyes again. 

"Sorry about that - just making sure that the thief wasn't going to wander the wrong way" Luna smiled "So where were we?" Hermione stared at her for a moment.

"Do I want to know?"

"Probably not" Luna shook her head.

"You were going to give me a piece of advice - one of two?" Hermione said.

"Oh - yes" Luna nodded "I can either have a quick look ahead, or I can use the wisdom I have gained from being alive for so long" Hermione snorted in amusement.

"You know you are younger than me, right?"

"I have an old soul" Luna grinned.

"That much is certain" Hermione laughed "So - oh wise one - tell me what the wisdom of the ages has to suggest" 

"You don't want a peek in to the future?" Luna asked.

"Oh gods no" Hermione shook her head "If I am going to mess things up, I am going to make sure I can blame you, and not me" Luna laughed.

"Just the answer I would expect from the smartest witch of a generation" She said, still chuckling "Very well......"

xoxox

"Albus?" Dumbledore glanced over his shoulder.

"Phineas"He said politely "It is nice to see you again"

"You shouldn't be here, Albus" Phineas Black stared out of his portrait "You were dismissed as Headmaster - you no longer have the right to be in this office"

"Nonsense" Dumbledore gave a dismissive laugh "I will always be welcome here - I am The Headmaster of Hogwarts and nothing will change that" He walked up to the case that held The Sword of Gryffindor, then drew his wand.

"You were sacked for abusing your position, and your access to the wards and the school revoked!" Phineas insisted "If you do not leave at once, I will alert Headmaster Snape"

"You will do no such thing" Dumbledore span round, cloak flaring around him "I am the rightful headmaster, and you will obey my will!" Phineas stared at him, then he took a deep breath. Dumbledore pointed his wand at the portrait.

"INCENDIO!" He bellowed. A jet of flame shot from his wand, and ignited the canvas in Phineas' frame. It burned brightly for a few seconds before burning itself out. Dumbledore stared around the office.

"I trust no one else is going to interfere with what I have to do here?" He said sternly. There was a moment's silence, then all the other portraits started screaming at once. Dumbledore pointed his wand at one of them, then sighed.

"So be it" He said, then turned back to the case that held the sword "Bombardia!" He cried, and the case shattered "Accio Sword" The sword flew towards him, and he caught it in mid air. Slipping it inside his robes, he turned and cast another blasting spell at the nearest window before transforming back into a bumblebee and flying out of the window.

xoxox

"......which should move you....." Luna trailed off "Bloody hell" She jumped to her feet, then took a deep breath, rested both hands on the table and sat down again, closing her eyes "Hermione - keep an eye out for teachers. I need to talk to Harry and Angela, and I don't want to be interrupted"

"Yes boss" Hermione replied quickly. Luna smirked, then her face turned serious. 

xoxox

Harry pushed his broom downwards, swerving out of the way of Angela's feint, and was just about to do a barrel roll when he heard Luna's voice in his head. 

"Angela? Do you...."

"Yeah" She called back "But why...."

_There is no why! Just go! Now!_

They exchanged glances, then both turned their brooms to the far end of the stands and flew off at full speed. When they reached the edge of the stadium, they both pushed the brooms downwards, and flew under the stands, coming to a halt in the shadowy darkness.

_So, my sweet, do you want to tell us why we are here?_ He thought back.

_Any second now, Dumbledore is going to fly overhead. The Quidditch Pitch is the fastest route from Snape's office to the nearest ward boundary. He is in a rush, and I don't think he would stop to grab you - or attack you - but I didn't think we should push our luck_

_Oh_ Harry blinked, then looked at Angela who had received the same message _Do I want to know what Dumbledore is doing on the grounds?_

_Later_ Luna replied, then a second after that _Okay - he has left the grounds now. You can come out, and I would suggest coming back in doors. Sorry to break up playtime, but we need to talk and I think all six of us should meet_

_I'll fetch Sally on the way, and meet you....._

_Anthrax_

_There_

xoxox

Luna opened her eyes and looked at Hermione.

"Castle Anthrax. Ten minutes?" She asked "And I guess I should ask if we can borrow your castle?"

"My castle is your castle" Hermione smiled. I will go find my boyfriend and we'll meet you there"

xoxox

Neville, Luna and Hermione strode into the main meeting room of Castle Anthrax nine minutes later to find Harry, Sally and Angela waiting for them.

"You are sure he didn't see you?" Luna asked quickly as Hermione and Neville took seats on the left of the room.

"We were both fine" Harry replied "Which I am sure you can probably see, because if he had seen us, one or both of us would be dead or missing" He glanced at Sally "So what was he doing inside the wards? I thought Snape and Amelia had made sure that wouldn't happen again?"

"Apparently his animagus form is a bumblebee" Luna said, relaxing slightly "Which is apparently small enough not to set off the wards when he passes through them" She paused "Something we should probably think about telling Amelia, or Severus" She shook her head "However there is a more pressing matter to deal with"

"A more pressing matter than Dumbledore having free access to the school?" Angela raised her eyebrows "Really?"

"Our most beloved and wonderful ex-Headmaster just stole The Sword of Gryffindor from the Headmaster's office" Luna said "He is going to take it to Gringotts, and use it to bribe them into giving him access to some accounts that he should not have access to" She took a deep breath "I am pretty sure that he is going to convince the goblins to give him access to what were The Potter Trust Account, The Potter Antiquity Vault and The Potter Family Vault"

"I thought that......." Hermione started, but Luna cut her off.

"For a treasure such as The Sword of Gryffindor, the goblins would not think twice about doing whatever Dumbledore wants" She insisted "They won't make it official, and they certainly won't tell you or Sirius about it, but they will give Dumbledore back his access to a lot of money, and possibly a lot of classified family magic and stuff you don't want him to know"

"Can we stop him?" Harry asked.

"Two or three ways" Luna walked into the middle of the room and sat down on the arm of the sofa "We can try to get The Sword off him before he gets to Gringotts. Or we can see if we can get to Gringotts and bribe them with something more impressive" 

"And three?" Neville asked.

"We can launch a full scale attack on the bank, killing all of the goblins inside" Luna said in a deadpan voice, then smirked "That is obviously not my preferred option"

"Can we get to Gringotts?" Hermione asked "And do we have anything to bribe them with?"

"Something that would rival The Sword of Gryffindor?" Angela shook her head "No - not a hope" She looked over at Luna "Despite Binn's incredibly crap teaching standards, I have picked up the fact that goblin made artefacts are very rare - one of a kind - and their weapons are rated second to none" She raised her eyebrows questioningly at Luna "Am I right"

"Pretty much, yeah" Luna nodded reluctantly.

"So can we stop him?" Neville asked.

"Us? Probably not" Harry shook his head "We can't leave Hogwarts any time soon, and while I am sure the four of you could take him, I don't want to put you at risk this close to The Third Task" 

"Us four?" Sally asked, then blinked "You and Luna can't confront him because that is what he wants"

"Pretty much" Harry nodded, then looked over at Luna "Is there anything we can do, sweetie?" Luna took a deep breath.

"Anything we can do, or anything I can do?" She asked with a wry smile "Because I can think of four or five ways to make him stop, but they all involve breaking my cardinal rule" She stared into his eyes "We are so close to the end of the war, my love, and I am more or less certain that whether we stop him or not, the outcome of the war is not going to be any different. So, just this once, if you ask me to I will stop him" Harry stared back at her, then jumped to his feet and walked over to her, before pulling her into a hug.

"Let him do what he wants to do" He whispered "Not because it won't change anything, and not because I want to keep my money, but because I am not going to make you screw with anyone's mind - not even his - for any reason" He felt her smile against his shoulder.

He held her for a few more moments before letting her go and looking in to her eyes, which were starting to mist with tears.

"I mean it - he can strip away everything that was mine or my parents and I will still welcome tomorrow with smile and a song" He said, then smirked "Of course, I will still hunt him down and make him pay but that is a whole different matter" Luna laughed, then wiped her sleeve across her eyes.

"Okay. I will keep an eye on what he does, but I won't interfere" She said, then looked at the others "Anyone else have anything to add?"

xoxox

Dumbledore stalked back into Gringotts, and stopped in front of a teller.

"Tell Rongar that I have returned" He said. The teller stared at him for a moment, then gave a brief nod.

"Yes. He is waiting for you" The goblin pointed towards a door on the far side of the lobby "Through there"

"Thank you" Dumbledore smiled, then turned on his heel and strode over to the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. 

"Mr Delane" Rongar smiled "You've returned. I take it you come bearing gifts?"

"That depends" Dumbledore replied "Have you spoken to your manager?"

"I have" Rongar nodded, his smile widened "Do you have it?" Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, then withdrew The Sword from his robes. With a final pause, he handed it over to Rongar. 

The goblin stared at the sword in his hands, his eyes wide. Taking a deep breath, he looked back up at Dumbledore.

"Albus Dumbledore, the goblin nation thanks you for returning this treasure to us" He said in a calm voice "For too long we have been denied this by the wand wavers"

"I am just happy I can do you this service" Dumbledore replied.

"However, you have violated our policy on disguises despite my previous warning" Rongar said in the same calm voice "And so you have one minute to leave the sovereign territory of Gringotts, or face life imprisonment in our dragon pens" Dumbledore stared at him, eyes widening.

"You must be joking"

"Do I look like I am joking?" Rongar raised the newly returned Sword of Gryffindor "It is only because of the service you have done us this day that I am giving you a minute instead of imposing the penalty immediately, and only because of this service that I am not stripping you of the rest of your vaults" He pointed the sword at Dumbledore "GO! NOW! And do not return in this disguise again, or else I will not be so forgiving"

xoxox

"Well..... okay then" Luna blinked in surprise as she saw Dumbledore running out of Gringotts as if his life depended on it "I guess that explains what happens next"

xoxox

Dumbledore appareted back to the cabin, then drew his wand and set a few trees on fire. 

McGonagall came out of the cabin a few moments later to see the inferno, then looked at her friend and mentor.

"Albus? What......" She started, but stopped and flinched back, drawing her own wand when Dumbledore span round, wand pointing at her "ALBUS!" 

"Sorry, Minerva" Dumbledore took a deep breath, then slowly lowered his wand "I am very, very angry and felt it would be better to get rid of some of this anger before I spoke to you" He paused "I apologise for that bad planning that lead to you encountering me before I was prepared" 

"I take it things did not go well with the goblins?" McGonagall asked "Were you unable to get The Sword of Gryffindor?"

"I was able to get the sword, but then those thieving, money-grubbing creatures double crossed me and took the sword. Then they threatened to turn me over to The Ministry or lock me in the dragon pens for using a glamour spell within the boundaries of Gringotts" Dumbledore's expression was dark "I was forced to flee before they could make good on their promise"

"So you were unable to gain access to the Potter accounts?"

"Alas not" Dumbledore replied "Which means we will have to proceed with our original plan. We will find two wizards and make them go to Hogwarts to kidnap Harry and Luna" He paused "But we are also going to find four or five more, disguise them as Death Eaters and send them into Gringotts" He smiled "Those creatures will learn what happens when you cross Albus Dumbledore, and they will come to regret it" McGonagall stared at him warily.

"Are you sure that is wise?" She asked "Starting a war against the goblins is......"

"Is what, Minerva?" 

"A little extreme" She said simply "I understand that you are angry about their actions, but I think triggering a potential goblin rebellion - a civil war - is an overreaction. Especially when the wizarding world is already facing the threat of Voldemort"

"But that is what makes the plan such genius, Minerva" Dumbledore smiled "The goblins will believe that it is Voldemort who has attacked them, and so they will launch an attack against him in retaliation. Tom Riddle will be facing a war on two fronts - the goblins on one side, and Harry, Luna and us on the other" He turned and walked into the cabin. McGonagall stared at him, then shook her head.

"This will end badly, Albus" She said to herself "Very, very badly"

xoxox

A week later, Amelia Bones walked into The Great Hall, and up to the staff table. 

"Headmaster" She said quietly "I am sorry to call on you unannounced, but I need to talk to you, Sirius Black, Harry Black and Luna Lovegood" She paused "Now"

xoxox

Fifteen minutes later they were assembled in Severus' office. Amelia looked over at Sirius and took a deep breath.

"Professor Black, Mister Black, Miss Lovegood" She said "Ninety minutes ago I was summoned down to the atrium at The Ministry"

xoxox

**Two hours earlier**

Amelia walked into The Ministry atrium, then came to a halt, staring in surprise at the figure stood calmly and peacefully at the security desk.

"Minerva?" She said.

"Hello Amelia" McGonagall said calmly "I have come to turn myself in"


	19. The Walk In

Harry and Luna exchanged glances, then Luna looked over at Amelia.

"Did she say why?" She asked the Director.

"We have only got through a bit of questioning, but the questioning we have done has been done under veritaserum" Amelia replied "Apparently she feels Dumbledore has lost his mind"

"I'll take the odds on that" Sirius snorted, making Amelia smile.

"She says that Dumbledore has become so concerned about Miss Lovegood's power and influence that he is willing to take ever more.... radical steps to ensure that she never becomes a danger to society" Amelia glanced over at Luna "According to McGonagall, he is going to join forces with Voldemort in order to ensure your death" Luna raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond "Once you are dead, he plans to use Harry to double cross Voldemort and reclaim his position as The Leader of The Light, Headmaster and so on and so on"

"He really thinks that will happen?" Sirius quirked an eyebrow.

"If he defeats Voldemort and thus saves the world, I would imagine that - whatever your complaints might be - the rest of our world will be quite happy to fall at his feet once again" Amelia said with a shrug "However I must admit my primary concern is not what will happen after the war ends, but ensuring Miss Lovegood will be kept safe" 

"I will be fine" Luna replied calmly "Dumbledore will not come close to me, Director" Amelia stared at her in surprise.

"You are that certain?" She asked after a few moments. Luna looked around the office, then drew her wand.

"Sallus Mutan Silenca" She said, twirling her wand above her head. Amelia watched as a beam of blue light shot up the wand, then slowly expanded into a dome that covered Sirius, Luna, Harry, Severus and Amelia. Once it reached the floor, Luna turned back to The Director and smiled.

"Sorry, but I am not going to talk in front of all of these portraits" She said "I know they serve The Headmaster, but I don't know which Headmaster they serve, and I have no desire to have them go running to Dumbledore or anyone else" She glanced around the room, then looked back at Amelia "We told you about what I can do, and you are sworn to secrecy" Amelia nodded.

"I am afraid I can't tell you what is going on, Director" Luna continued "There are several finely balanced variables and if there are any attempts to interfere then everything could collapse" She folded her hands in her lap "But trust me when I say I am not worried about Dumbledore, Director. He cannot touch me - cannot hurt me - without my consent, my permission"

"Is he right about you?" Severus asked "About you being a danger to society?" Luna looked over at him.

"Society has nothing to fear from me, Headmaster" Luna replied "As I have told everyone who has ever asked, I have no desire to rule or have dominion over anyone. My only desires are to see Voldemort dead and Dumbledore pay for his crimes" She paused "After that......." She shrugged "Well, there is no after that - at least not yet" She turned back to Amelia "Director - I know the other reason you came here, but I can't help you" 

"Can't?" Amelia asked "You can't tell me what is going to happen, and what I can do to change it or prevent it?"

"Oh - no, I could" Luna admitted "But the reason Dumbledore wants me dead is because he thinks I am going to set myself up as God-Emperor of the magical world" She leaned forward "If I give you instructions - if you start following me instead of your own instincts - then how am I anything other than he fears?" She shook her head "I am sorry, but I can't tell you what you want. I just can't"

"What about your friends?" Amelia glanced at Harry "Are you going to keep the future a secret from them?"

"We know better than to ask" Harry replied "And we understand Luna's point of view, her reluctance and her reasons for not wanting to tell us what to do" He paused "What we do, we do of our own free will, and Luna knows that" He smiled at his girlfriend "Director - there is nothing you can do to change her mind. You can threaten to arrest her, expose her, even kill her and her answer will remain the same" Amelia stared at him for a moment, then looked at Luna.

"And if one of my Aurors dies because you didn't tell me something that could save them?" She asked. Luna gave a soft laugh.

"Director, last year I lead my boyfriend and best friend into a battle against more dementors than you can possibly imagine, knowing full well that all three of us could die, or worse, be rendered soulless" She stared at Amelia "There is no power in this universe that would make me manipulate the future, or try to direct the future, Director. My friends know this, my father knows this, my aunts and uncles know this, and every ones of us would rather die than see me break my promise" She paused "If your Aurors die, I will mourn them, but I will not feel guilty about their deaths" She tilted her head to one side "Unless it was I that killed them, but that is really unlikely" Amelia gazed at her calmly, then smiled.

"I apologise, Miss Lovegood" She said "I understand now" She took a deep breath "I will return to The Ministry and continue questioning Professor McGonagall. I will let you know what we find out"

"Thank you, Director" Sirius said "Should we learn anything that might be of use to your interrogation, we will of course let you know"

"I will make sure someone is always ready to take your owl" Amelia smiled, then stood up "Miss Lovegood - once again, I am sorry for what I said"

"Believe me, Director, I have heard a lot worse" Luna replied "See you soon" 

"Good bye" Amelia nodded, then turned and walked out of the office. Luna drew her wand and dispelled the dome of silence, then looked at Severus.

"If you will excuse us, Headmaster, we should be going. I suspect my friends will want to know what is going on, and Sirius will need to tell the parents"

"Of course" Severus nodded "You are all dismissed"

xoxox

Two hours later, Sirius stood up and addressed the entire group in Cair Paravel.

"As some of you will know by now, Minerva McGonagall is now in DMLE custody" He said, but couldn't help smiling as he did "She turned herself over to Amelia earlier today and is helping The Director with her inquiries" Everyone stared at him.

"Why?" Alice asked. 

"She says that Dumbledore has lost it - that he is so concerned about Luna that he is making plans that scare her" Sirius paused "According to Amelia's initial investigations, Dumbledore is going to join forces with Voldemort to come after Luna, and once she is dead he is going to use Harry as a weapon to betray and kill Voldemort" There were a few minutes of silence, then Jessica shook her head.

"No - I don't buy it" She said "I am the last person to give Dumbledore any credit, and after he left Hermione to be eaten by dementors last year I think death is too good for him, but can any of you honestly see him working with Voldemort?" She looked around the group "Even to bring down a threat as big as Luna?" She glanced over at the young blonde girl "No offence"

"None taken, Mrs Granger" Luna smiled.

"The enemy of my enemy" Sirius pointed out.

"Voldemort is Dumbledore's enemy" Jessica responded "Would anyone here work with him to get Dumbledore out of the picture?" She let the silence hold for a minute or so, then continued "Whatever Dumbledore is planning, it does not involve teaming up with Voldemort"

"Does anyone disagree with Jess?" Sirius looked around the room, but no one raised their hands "Okay. Next question - should we tell Director Bones?" Luna raised her hand "Luna?"

"I know I told Amelia I was staying out of this - with The Third Task only a week away we have more important things to be concentrating on - but my advice, and it is purely advice, would be no" She tilted her head to one side "It is not going to change what happens on the night of The Task either way - assuming Cedric and Fleur keep to their promise, they will still end up confronting him, and Harry and I will end up in the graveyard"

"So why not tell her?" Frank asked.

"Because it will keep her, and The DMLE and The Ministry, busy" Luna shrugged, then she stood up and walked over to stand next to Sirius "I know what what I am about to say is going to sound overly dramatic and grandiose, but the next seven days are possibly the most important in the history of the world. While they might not lead to a perfect possible future, they will lead, if we do things right, to the vanquishing of Voldemort and the downfall of Dumbledore" She paused, then smirked "And if we have a bunch of amateurs who don't understand what they dare doing trying to interfere and change things the it could all go horribly wrong" She took a deep breath "Sorry - that came out a little more..... condescending than I intended"

"Glad you realised that, sweetie" Xeno said with a grin.

"But my point still stands" Luna continued "If Director Bones and her associates are busy with McGonagall they will pay less attention to what we are doing"

"And you aren't worried about manipulating them like that?" Hermione asked.

"They are just doing what they would be doing" Luna replied "I am not making them do anything" Hermione tilted her head to one side.

"It's a thin line, don't you think?" 

"Maybe" Luna shrugged "But if I didn't have this gift - if all this was going on because Dumbledore was a lunatic - then they would be interrogating McGonagall as they are now" She looked around the room "Anyway - that is just my advice. But I am happy to go with the group" She took her seat again. Sirius smiled.

"Well - Miss Lovegood's comments aside, I think that even if we tell Director Bones about our theory, she is unlikely to believe us without evidence" He paused "McGonagall was questioned under veritaserum, so unless we can provide a stronger source of proof then I think they'd probably ignore us anyway" He smiled at Luna "Or ask us where we have got our proof from"

"So we're going to keep it to ourselves?" Augusta looked around.

"Unless anyone can suggest a reason otherwise?" Sirius paused, but again, no one raised their hands "Motion carried. Okay then. I think that is all......" He trailed off as Luna raised her hand again "Luna?"

"Since we are a week away from D-Day - or V-Day - I wanted to ask if anyone had any last minute suggestions?" She smiled "I know we've been plotting, planning and...... other words starting with P for months but you can never have too many good ideas"

"The six of us quit Hogwarts and everyone of us here moves to France" Angela suggested. Luna stared at her for a moment.

"Okay - I stand corrected" She said with a grin, making everyone laugh "But seriously, if anyone comes up with any ideas, don't be afraid to suggest them - I am all ears"

"Not all ears" Harry said under his breath, then blushed as Xeno raised his eyebrows at him "She has very nice eyes as well"

"Nice save, son" Xeno smirked.

xoxox

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Luna were flying towards Gondolin.

"Sweetie" Harry drew Hugsalot up next to Luna and Nirnaeth "I have a question"

"Yes, dear?" Luna didn't look round, but she slowed slightly, allowing him to keep pace.

"Would I be wrong in thinking you are hiding something?" He asked. When Luna stayed silent, he added "Because it seemed that when we were discussing McGonagall and The DMLE, you were holding something back"

"How did you know?" She turned to look at him "Was it something I said?"

"More something you didn't" He smiled "If Dumbledore isn't going to side with Voldemort, then why does McGonagall think he is? And why has a veritasterum interrogation confirmed something that can't possibly be true?" He paused "And why aren't you concerned about that fact?" Luna stared at him for a few seconds.

"You know how crazy that sounds, right?"

"Now that I am saying it out loud, yes" He grinned "But my point still stands "You didn't seem, and still don't seem, at all worried about the fact McGonagall has clearly been sent into The DMLE to lie and to lie under veritaserum" His smile faded "Why?"

"You want to know?" She asked "It's not nice, and I have kept it to myself because I didn't want to put this burden on anyone else" Harry gazed at her for a moment, then reached out slowly and took her hand.

"Tell me"

"Okay" Luna nodded "I am not worried about Dumbledore, because he is not going to start the second part of his plan until after he has us in his power, which is not going to happen" She paused "And as to why I am not worried about McGonagall....... that is slightly more complicated"

xoxox

Harry woke up the following morning, and rolled on to his back. 

"Well...... she does kind of have it coming" He said to himself "And I am done feeling guilty about stuff I have no control over" He took a deep breath, then he pushed back the curtains and climbed out of bed.

xoxox

Two days later, Tonks walked into the interrogation room and sat down opposite McGonagall.

"Good morning, Minerva" She said politely "I am here today to......"

"Nymphadora?" McGonagall stared at her, looking confused.

"My name is Auror Tonks" Tonks glared at her.

"What are you doing here? McGonagall paused, then she looked around "What..... what am I doing here?" She looked around the room again "Why am I in a DMLE interrogation room?"

"Madame McGonagall......"

"Professor McGonagall" The teacher cut her off "I am a teacher at Hogwarts, after all"

"No, you aren't" Tonks said sharply "You were dismissed after you and Dumbledore went on the run following the revelations about 32 and Frank and Alice Longbottom being imprisoned"

"Frank and Alice........." McGonagall trailed off "They're cured? They aren't still in St Mungo's?" Tonks stared at her.

"Minerva McGonagall - what is the date?"

"It is the 12th of May, 1994" McGonagall replied. Tonks blinked, then stood up.

"Stay here. Do not try to leave this room or you will be stunned and bound" She said "I realise you might not understand why, but believe me when I say if you step outside that door, you will regret it" McGonagall nodded, still looking slightly confused, and Tonks turned and left the interrogation room.

xoxox

"Director - Auror Tonks is........" Amelia's assistant started, but before she could finish Tonks burst past her into Amelia's office.

"Director - something's wrong. I was interrogating McGonagall and she thinks it is a year ago. She doesn't know why she is under arrest, why she is being interrogated or what is happening" Tonks said "While it is possible she might be faking it, I am fairly certain she is telling the truth" She paused "I need an expert legilimencer to help, and we might need to take her to St Mungo's" Amelia stared at her for a moment, then stood up.

"Dorothy - find Kristen Marsters and send her down to interrogation room one" She said, and her assistant nodded and left the room. Amelia then turned to Tonks.

"Lets go"

xoxox

"Amelia - perhaps you can explain why I am here" McGonagall said when Amelia and Tonks walked into the interrogation room.

"Forgive me, Minerva, but for the past year or so, you have been a wanted fugitive" Amelia said calmly "You and Albus Dumbledore have been wanted for various crimes, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, attempted murder and theft. Two days ago you turned yourself in, saying that you were going to provide evidence against Dumbledore and his plot to assist Voldemort in kidnapping and murdering Luna Lovegood and kidnapping Harry Potter" She paused "Given that these crimes would see you receive the dementors kiss, you can understand why your claim of sudden memory loss might be considered a little dubious" 

"Fugitive......" McGonagall stared at them in bemusement "I am not the deputy headmistress any more?"

"Not for over a year" Tonks said "Dumbledore broke you out of prison and you and he have been on the lam ever since" McGonagall shook her head.

"I swear I can't remember any of this" She said, then she patted the pockets of her prison robes "Although that would explain why I do not appear to have my wand"

"We have sent for a master legillimencer" Amelia said "With your consent, she will examine your mind to see what you can and cannot recall. If, as you say, your memory is compromised, we will transfer you to a secure ward at St Mungo's for further investigation and treatment"

"Thank you" McGonagall nodded "While I do not wish my brain to be poked and prodded, so to speak, if it is the only way to convince you then I welcome the opportunity" Amelia turned to Tonks.

"I want you to go and speak to our contact at Hogwarts" Amelia said "See if they know anything about this"

"Why would they know......." Tonks started, but Amelia raised her hand.

"Just go to Hogwarts, tell them what's happened and see their reaction" She said "And send Auror Quill in. Regulations and all"

"Yes, boss"

xoxox

"Auror Tonks" Severus smiled as Tonks walked through the main doors into The Entrance Hall "Twice in a week. Should I be flattered?"

"I need to talk to Miss Lovegood and her associates" Tonks replied briskly "Professor Black can act as their responsible adult, unless he is otherwise engaged then I can wait for one of their other parents"

"While the idea of Sirius being a responsible adult is definitely a novel one, I am afraid it is one that will have to remain unfulfilled for the moment because he is away from school at the moment. I can probably get in touch with Mr Lovegood or Frank and Alice Longbottom?"

"Please do" Tonks nodded, then added "Headmaster" She paused "While this will be an informal discussion to begin with, it is entirely possible it might turn into a formal one and for that....."

"You require the presence of an adult, preferably a guardian" Severus nodded "Very well. I will ask the elves to bring the students to my office, and escort you there. Once we get there I will contact someone and ask them to come here"

"Thank you"

xoxox

Frank walked into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place and up behind his wife.

"Alice love? We have to go to Hogwarts" Alice turned round, holding a spoon in her hand.

"We do?"

"Nymphadora Tonks is there, and wants to talk to our children about something - all six of the children, not just Neville and Angela" Frank explained.

"Did she say way?" Alice put the spoon back in the pot she had been stirring, then cast a stasis charm "Should we get the others?"

"I talked to Severus, rather than Auror Tonks herself" Frank said "And apparently it will be an informal talk to start with - she only wants us present in case it has to become a formal matter" He paused "Ready to go?"

"Lead on, my love"

xoxox

Five minutes later, they stepped out of the floo and into Severus' office to find the six children waiting for them, along with Auror Tonks. 

"Good afternoon, mother, father" Angela smiled "Whatever they said I did, I promise it was only because Neville dared me" Frank and Alice both laughed. 

"Relax, sweetie" Alice said with a grin "You aren't the one in trouble - at least for now" She paused "Although I am curious what your brother has been getting you to do"

"Oh - nothing" Angela said quickly "Certainly not exchanging all the pumpkin juice for fire-whiskey - that would definitely be wrong and something I would never do"

"What never?" Frank queried. 

"No - never" Angela shook her head.

"What - never?" Frank narrowed his eyes.

"Well....." Angela started, but Severus coughed, and all three Longbottoms turned to look at him.

"Sorry to interrupt this fascinating bi-play, but I believe that Auror Tonks does have something urgent to talk to you about" He said, then turned to Tonks "Miss Tonks?"

"Thank you, Headmaster" She smiled, then looked at the children and took a deep breath.

"Director Bones sent me to talk to you because something has happened at The DMLE" She said "I went to question Minerva McGonagall this morning, and when I started to ask her about Dumbledore's plans she insisted that I call her Professor, because - and I quote - she is a Professor at Hogwarts" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"She thinks she is still teaching here?" She asked "Delusions or....."

"She claims to have no memory of anything that has happened since before she was arrested and escorted out of Hogwarts last year" Tonks shrugged "No memory of being broken out, of the dementor attack, of living as a fugitive" She paused "Director Bones has currently having her examined, to see if she is faking as an attempt to avoid Azkaban or if it is real"

"And you came here to talk to the children?" Frank asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"Amelia asked me to talk to them" Tonks replied, then shrugged "I don't know why, but she thought they might know something or have some idea" She looked back at the six children "Do any of you know why this might have happened?"

"There are some plants that can react badly to veritaserum" Neville suggested "But that would mean she would have had to have taken them before she came in, or Dumbledore would have had to have given her them without her knowing, and would have had to have known she was going to betray him" He paused "Which would seem unlikely"

"So none of you knows anything about this?" Tonks asked. Luna took a deep breath, then closed her eyes for a moment. 

_Guys - I think I am going to tell her. If anyone has any objections, speak now_ She broadcast. 

_You are sure?_ Hermione responded _It's not something you can take back_

_Amelia trusts her. And I am obviously going to put her under a spell_ Luna replied. 

_Should you ask your father?_ Frank suggested.

_He trusts me_

_I know you won't tell us, but can you see anything?_ Sally asked, then smirked as Luna broadcast an image of Tonks' head exploding.

_She'll be a bit freaked out, like everyone else, but she'll get used to it_ Luna added _So - yay or nay?_

_Yay_

_Yes_

_Yes_

_I say yes_

_Yay_

_Of course_

_Yes_

_Thank you_ Luna smiled, then looked back at Severus. 

"Headmaster - could you excuse us for a moment?" She asked. Severus' quirked an eyebrow, then nodded.

"I will be just outside" He said, then turned and walked out of the office. Once he closed the door, Luna drew her wand and cast a silencing charm over the nine people left in the room. 

"Auror Tonks - I can explain why Amelia sent you here, but before I do I have to put you under a very powerful secrecy charm. I can't tell you why, and if you refuse I cant' tell you anything else" She said calmly "What I can tell you is that Amelia is under the same charm, as are two other people, although I can't tell you their names" Tonks stared at her levelly, then looked at Frank and Alice.

"This is necessary?" She asked the two former Aurors. 

"Yes" They replied in unison.

"Very well" Tonks turned back to Luna "Cast your spell"

"Do you agree to keep my secret?" Luna asked "That you will only reveal the secrets told to you in this room if given permission by three of the six children here present, and that if you try to talk to anyone who does not already know, you will lose your magic and the ability to speak until released from this promise by either Luna Lovegood or Harry Potter?" Tonks stared at her "Do you agree, Auror Nymphadora Tonks?"

"I do agree" Tonks nodded, and there was a soft yellow flash. 

"Okay" Luna breathed a sigh of relief "The reason Amelia sent you here was because she wanted to know if I saw this coming" She stood up "I will ask Sirius, or one of the other parents, to give you a better explanation later, but to make a long story less long I can see multiple futures, see which ones are likely to occur and, should I so desire, I can manipulate events to make any given future happen" She smiled at the bemused look on Tonks' face "I know you don't believe me right now - no one believes me the first time I tell them - but if you just accept what I am saying as true, it will make things go a lot quicker"

"Okay" Tonks nodded, still looking slightly stunned.

"And to answer the questions that Amelia wants answered....." She paused, then took a deep breath "Yes - I saw this coming. No - there was nothing I could do to prevent it. McGonagall took a potion before she left Dumbledore's hideout that, when mixed with veritaserum, shreds the brain. And, before you ask, she had already taken a very small dose of veritaserum before she walked into The DMLE, so the process had already begun. It can't be stopped, reversed, treated or cured" Tonks stared at her, eyes wide.

"So she never turned against him?" Tonks asked.

"I am not sure" Luna admitted "I know it will sound odd, but the past is not as clear to me as the future is" She closed her eyes for a few moments "I can't be certain, and I think - given the state of her brain and the fact it is being destroyed so quickly - we may never know for certain, but I think she was loyal to him to the end, even to the point of an imperious curse and any number of memory charms to ensure when she turned herself in that she would tell the story they wanted told" She opened her eyes and looked up at Tonks "None of this would be admissible in court, but McGonagall won't reach trial anyway"

"She won't?" Neville asked.

"If her faculties are going as fast as Luna says" His mother said from behind him "She will be in St Mungo's long before any trial can be arranged" She glanced at Luna "Assuming she lasts that long?"

"I'm sad to say that's a big assumption" Luna replied quietly, then she looked at Tonks "I'll let my father know you are coming over tonight, and he will tell you all about my gift. Amelia can probably fill you in about some of it as well" She paused "But the key part of all this is that McGonagall isn't faking, there is nothing you, Amelia or anyone at The DMLE could have done to prevent this" 

"And you?" Tonks asked "You said you could manipulate the future?"

"Even if I would, I couldn't have changed this" Luna shook her head "McGonagall was already dead by the time she turned herself in"

xoxox

Tonks stepped out of the floo at The DMLE, then walked down the corridor to Amelia's office. 

She knocked on the door, then entered and took a seat opposite the Director. Amelia looked up at her, then smiled.

"So, judging by the look on your face, I would guess you learned a lot more than you expected?" She asked. Tonks stared at her for a moment, then closed her eyes. 

"She can see the future?" Tonks whispered "She can change the future?"

"It took me a while to get used to it too" Amelia replied "But it does explain quite a lot" She paused "Why they captured Pettigrew so easily, why Sirius and her father are free" 

"Why isn't she running the world?" Tonks blurted out. 

"Because she doesn't want to" Amelia replied "She has no desire to be a goddess, or the next Dark Lady" She smiled "She just wants to grow up, live a normal life and make sure Voldemort and Dumbledore are not a danger to her, Harry or society at large"

"But....." Tonks started, and Amelia laughed.

"I know - that was my reaction too" She replied "She wants to stop Voldemort and Dumbledore, but not at the cost of becoming them" She leaned forward, resting her arms on her desk "She hasn't said it in so many words, but I have a feeling she would rather see Voldemort conquer the country, or see Dumbledore back in the Headmaster's chair, than risk taking their place. I have heard her say that she - and Harry - would rather die than end up under Dumbledore's control again"

"Wow" Tonks exclaimed, leaning back in her chair.

"So - the truth about our seer aside - what did you learn?" Amelia asked.

"McGonagall isn't faking it" Tonks said, pulling a notepad out of her pocket and tapping it with her wand "Before she left Dumbledore's hideout, she took a potion that - when combined with veritaserum - shreds the brain" Amelia winced "And just to make doubly sure, she took a tiny dose of veritaserum as well just before she turned herself in" 

"Merlin......" Amelia whispered.

"Dumbledore knew we would dose her as soon and as often as we could when she turned herself in, and the most veriasterum we gave her, the faster the damage would take hold" Tonks continued "They couldn't give me an exact timescale, but Frank, Alice and Luna didn't think she would live long enough to make it to trial, let alone to Azkaban" 

"She's going to die?" Amelia stared at her "And there's nothing we can do?"

"There's no cure, and the effects can't be reversed" Tonks shook her head "But before you start feeling too bad, she would have spent the rest of her life in Azkaban, if she hadn't received the kiss for her crimes. Add to that the fact that - to the best of our knowledge - McGonagall agreed to this"

"It wasn't done against her will?"

"No - she agreed to all of this" Tonks folded her notepad up and put it away "How is she?"

"Convinced we have arrested her under false pretences, and demanding that we let her speak to Albus" Amelia replied "She has no clue why she is locked up and every time I explain it to her she seems surprised. Then and hour, two hours later she has forgotten" She sighed "I don't entirely know how long we can keep her before we have to send her to St Mungo's"

"A secure ward, maybe" Tonks paused, ten glanced at her watch "And now, if you will forgive me, I have a dinner date tonight"

"Oh yes?" Amelia raised her eyebrows.

"Luna said her father would be happy to explain more about her gift" Tonks said "Given we were in Snape's office, under a dome of silence, she didn't want to go into a lot of detail" 

"Understandable" Amelia nodded "I will have McGonagall monitored, and I will see you tomorrow"

"If anything happens, I will be at Sirius' and Xeno's place, so you can get hold of me there" Tonks stood up "Until tomorrow"

xoxox

"So this is where we are" Luna stood on the stage of the ballroom in Cinderella's castle, addressing the rest of the group "With McGonagall's arrest and impending death, we have entered the final phase of the war. Five nights from now, everyone will be gathered for the pre-meeting for The Third Task. The parents of the three Champions will be at Hogwarts, and there will be a small get together before The Champions themselves go out to face The Task" She paused "One hour before that, Cedric and Fleur will change places with Harry and me"

"They've signed the proxy forms?"

"Yes, and the forms are on file with the appropriate authorities, although Severus doesn't know about the change, because otherwise Voldemort would know about the change as well" She took a deep breath "I know that we are entering the most dangerous part of the plan, and that at the very least four lives will be in mortal danger, and at the most our entire society will be at risk, but I have seen several the future play out several dozen times, and I am fairly sure I know we what we have to do"

"Fairly sure?" Faith asked, but Luna simply smiled.

"I never like saying I am certain, because other people have been certain about things and it never, ever ends well" She replied "The Titanic, for example"

"Good point" Faith admitted. 

"Anyway - over the next five days Harry and I practice what we're going to do, so we will need someone to play the bad guys....." Every single hand shot up "...... and we will also need to make sure we have the supplies we need. Polyjuice and protection potions for Fleur and Cedric and a lot of portkeys. I want to ensure that neither group is going to end up trapped, should I have miscalculated and things go badly" 

"We'll make sure you're ready" Sirius said.

"Are you sure you can't get us there as well?" Jessie asked "If Owen and I could be transported to Dumbledore's hideout - or wherever Fleur and Cedric will be - we could provide....... our brand of support" Luna looked at her thoughtfully. 

"I'm worried that too much magic - magic that they are not expecting - will tip them off" Luna said with a hint of regret "And there is every chance Dumbledore will have set up wards that will prevent any portkeys other than his being transported through them"

"Every chance?" Owen quirked an eyebrow "You don't know?"

"I admit I haven't looked" Luna replied "I will try to find out tonight, but I can't make any promises" She paused "And just to be clear, I can only see what would happen if we send extra people to the Dumbledore meeting. Having extra people anywhere near The Dark Lord would be catastrophic ad almost certainly fatal for everyone involved - I am not even going to contemplate it" 

"Yes, boss" Hermione saluted, making Luna smirk.

"I thought we had agreed you would call me Mistress" She replied, making Hermione laugh "Anyway - five days and counting. And then - then it will all be over. One way or another"


	20. Interlude 4 - The Caves

Sally wakes to find herself lying in a sleeping bag, staring across a dark, dank cave. She blinks in confusion for a few moments then closes her eyes and opens them again slowly.

"I know - I can't believe it either" A voice comes from the far side of the cave. She rolls over to find Theo Nott standing at the entrance of the cave.

"Theo?" She asks, frowning "What do you mean - you can't believe it either?"

"That we are living in this....." He waves his hand around "Place" He pauses "But our Lord and Master has assured us that it is only temporary, and that once we have returned to our rightful place in society we won't have to live in places like this any more" Sally stares at him, then slips out of the sleeping bag.

"Our Lord and Master?" She asks.

"Sepaking of....." Theo says "He has requested our presence in The Grand Chamber" Sally stares at him blankly "Yeah, I know. But I am not going to be the one to tell him that The Grand Chamber is as much of a hovel as this cave is - I value my head as much as the next person"

"Of course" Sally smiles "Then lead on, and we will enter The Grand Chamber together" He holds out his hand, and, taking it, he leads her through a series of caves and tunnels until they enter a large cavern.

"My Lord" Nott gives a deep bow. Sally gives an equally deep bow, then straightens up to find herself looking into the face of Lord Voldemort.

"Miss Perks" Voldemort's voice is strong, deep and seductive. Sally feels herself falling under his spell as he speaks "I am sorry to wake you so early after the revel, however we have gained some important intelligence that I believe you might be able to shed some light on" Sally stares at him for a split second, then decides - dream or not - her immediate future would not be best served by revealing who she really is.

"I am at your disposal, My Lord" She says, with another deep bow.

"As you may know, Mr Potter was to marry Miss Weasley at Hogwarts today" Voldemort continues "The wedding was in progress but was disrupted when The Queen's elite guard encountered an anomaly"

"An anomaly, My Lord?" Sally asks, although she is fairly certain she knows what is coming next.

"Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood - two captains of sorts - reported finding another Harry Potter watching from the balcony at the back of The Hall, in the company of a woman who looked like Blaise Zabini"

"Which is patently impossible, since the Zabini bitch is in Azkaban" Nott interjects.

"And this is further to a report of Longbottom killing a girl who looked like Hermione Granger - killing her for the second time, I should add, and Captain Lovegood meeting herself in the forest" Voldemort says "You can see where I am leading with all this, I hope"

"I believe so, My Lord" She replies.

"There has long been a theory of alternate universes" Voldemort says quietly "Where a change in history creates an off shoot of some sort - a new time line, or an alternate history" He pauses "I believe that somehow a portal has opened up between this universe and another. A universe where Miss Granger did not die, where Mr Potter, Miss Zabini and Miss Lovegood are different"

"Different?"

"The.... the alt-Luna, if I may refer to her as such, had blonde hair and a very peppy personality" Voldemort smiles "Does that sound like The Dark Angel of Death?"

"I take your point, My Lord" Sally tilts her head in acknowledgement "So what do you wish us to do?"

"I believe we should find this portal and try to find a way to this alternate universe" Voldemort rises to his feet "We might be able to find allies there - allies who can help us defeat The King, Queen and their Royal Grand Vizer once and for all!" 

xoxox

Sally woke up to find Luna holding her hand and looking at her intently.

"Tell me" She said softly.


	21. The Third Task

"It's time" Cedric and Fleur looked up as Hermione walked into The Room of Requirement "The family and friends are gathering in The Great Hall, and the Headmaster and Minister are both waiting to welcome The Three Champions" She paused "You have the spells in place?"

"Yes" Cedric nodded "And while I never thought I would describe what happened over Christmas as a good thing, I think the fact that Amos is currently rotting in prison is definitely going to be an advantage, because even having his son taking part in The Third Task doesn't mean he gets out" He smiled "And our beloved regent has the power to transmit and receive everything to Luna, just in case her parents get curious and start asking questions we don't know the answer to"

"I am nothing if not talented" Fleur said with a bow, then she took Cedric's hand "So, Mister Diggory, shall we sally forth to meet our destiny?"

"By all means, Miss Delacour" Cedric nodded, then looked back at Hermione "Everyone is ready?"

"We're all ready - Angela and Sally are sat on the far side of the stands, and Neville and I will be on the near side. Sirius and Xeno will be on the north, Frank and Alice on the south, Faith and Damian on the east and Mum and Dad on the west" She paused "Luna and Harry will be sat at the edge of one of the stands, where they will be prime targets for Dumbledore and whoever he is using now that McGonagall is turning into a corpse in St Mungo's" Both Fleur and Cedric raised their eyebrows "What?"

"For someone who was your favourite teacher, you seem to be lacking a little sympathy" Cedric commented.

"She sided with one of the most evil, twisted beings we've ever met" Hermione said angrily "And there was a fair chance she knew this would happen to her and let Dumbledore do it" She shook her head "I will save my sympathy for the people who deserve it" She glanced at her watch "We should be going - you don't want people coming to find you. The less suspicion the better"

"Yes, boss" They both saluted in unison, making her laugh. 

"Well, if I am the boss then I have a few ideas about uniforms......" She started, then trailed off as both Fleur and Cedric glared at her "...... but they can probably wait until after you come back" 

"And people say Ravenclaws can't be trained" Cedric smirked.

xoxox

"And so we are just waiting for...... oh - there they are" Fudge smiled as Fleur and Cedric, still hand in hand, walked into the The Great Hall "As I was saying - this is just a little get together for the friends and family of The Three Champions" He looked at each of them in turn "Miss Sophithea Queen from Durmstrang, Miss Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons and Mister Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts" There was a polite round of applause. 

"In approximately one hours time, they will be going out to face The Third Task and the ultimate prize - being crowned The Tri-Wizard Winner" He paused "However, since one of the purposes of The Tournament is to encourage warmer relations between schools and students, mingle, talk - get to know each other" He smiled "Enjoy"

xoxox

"Cedric, I would like you to meet my parents" Fleur lead him over to two well dressed adults "Arvelle and Antoine Delacour" Cedric gave a polite bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister and Misses Delacour" Cedric nodded "I would offer to introduce you to my parents, but for various reasons they are unable to attend this evening" He paused, then glanced at Fleur "Your daughter has proved quite the challenge, if I may use such a phrase to describe her" Fleur blushed, but both of her parents smiled.

"We have raised our daughter - both of our daughters - to be strong, independent women who are not afraid to get their hands dirty" Antoine said with a proud grin "It is the reason I fell in love with their mother" Arvelle blushed.

"Oh father" Fleur waved her hands.

"A lot of veela use their powers to coast through life" Arvelle continued from where Antoine had left off "When you can..... influence people into doing your bidding, it makes putting the effort and the work in seem a little excessive and pointless" She paused "However my mother did not raise me to be lazy and shiftless, and I did not want my daughters to grow up the same way either"

"I would say you have definitely succeeded" Cedric replied, glancing at Fleur again "She is one of the bravest and most amazing young women I have met" She paused "And while I am sorry she is not going to win The Tournament, I am sure it will not be for lack of trying" Fleur burst into laughter, while the two Delacours smiled.

"You said something funny?" Sophithea asked, walking up from behind them "Looks like it is a good day to buy that lottery ticket" Fleur and Cedric looked at her.

"Cedric was just suggesting that he is going to stomp me into second place" Fleur replied with a warm smile.

"In my defence, I merely said you wouldn't win" Cedric paused "It's possible that I was suggesting that Thea here might kick our collective arses" He smiled at the young Bulgarian woman "Something that is not impossible, given past performances, wouldn't you say?"

"Who am I to disagree?" Sophithea returned his smile, then gestured to the two adults who had walked up with her "May I introduce Bratvala and Drucilla Queen - my parents"

"Mister Queen, Misses Queen" Both Fleur and Cedric gave polite bows.

"Mister Diggory, Miss Delacour" Bratvala Queen said with a nod "My daughter has had nothing but good things to say about both of you in her letters" 

"Oh dad!" Sophithea blushed.

"She says that as well as being excellent competitors, you are both honourable people, who have not tried to do anything wrong or cheat to win" Bratvala continued.

"If you have to cheat to get a victory, then what is the worth of it?" Fleur asked.

"I admit that my earlier conduct was a little bit less than noble" Cedric said with a blush, but both Fleur and Sophithea shushed him.

"He was being lead astray by his father" Sophithea explained "And once he was free from that influence he is has been nothing other than a perfect gentleman" She smiled "It has been an honour to compete against the both of them, and I am looking forward to seeing what The Third Task has in store for us, and who will come out on top"

"Well - before we get into all that, I just wanted to ask if you two would like to come and stay for part of the summer?" Cedric asked the two girls "I have a job starting in the autumn, but - like most Hogwarts graduates - I am going to spend the summer relaxing and taking time to wind down after seven years of school" He paused "And I think, after this year, I deserve some more time off than most of my classmates" The other two students laughed "So I was going to tour the country and have some fun" He smiled "You are both welcome to come with me, and if you wish to bring a boyfriend or girlfriend with you, they can come to" He paused, the bit his lip.

"Since my father has been..... unavoidably detained for the foreseeable future, I am left in the somewhat enviable position of being my head of house, so I have access to my family funds" He took a deep breath "What I am trying to say is I am happy to pay for any bills and expenses and so on, so the holiday would be on me....."

"You think we need charity?" Fleur asked, although the amused smile took the sting out of her words.

"No - not at all" He shook his head "But I just didn't want to drop a trip back to the UK on you and make you feel obligated to come if it was going to be overly expensive" He took another deep breath "I just wanted to bring it up now, rather than after The Tournament ends and Fleur here has crushed us into dust....."

"I thought I was the one who was going to win?" Sophithea smirked. 

"I would just give up now, if I were you, son" Antoine suggested with an amused smile - one that was shared by the other three parents "You are facing two incredibly smart young women, and I think whatever you say, you are only going to dig yourself into a deeper hole" 

"That is the best suggestion I have heard in a while" Cedric admitted, then he glanced over to where some more people were enterting The Hall "Would you like to meet some friends of ours?"

xoxox

Neville stared out over where The Quidditch Pitch had been two days before, then looked at Hermione.

"Tell me again that this is a good idea? That we aren't making a terrible mistake that will all end in tragedy?"

"You trust her?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Of course" Neville paused "But there is just so much that could go wrong. What if someone changes their mind about something? What if Dumbledore decides to kill Luna the moment he sees her? What if Voldemort decides to kill the winner the moment they appear? What if it starts raining and they get distracted and Sophithea gets to the trophy first?" Hermione rested her hand on his.

"Sweetie - if you start thinking like that, then you are going to go mad" She squeezed his hand "We are here to keep an eye on Harry and Luna, and we either alert the group if we see them vanish or we wait to be alerted if the others see them first" Neville took a deep breath.

"You aren't worried at all?" He asked. Hermione paused, then bit her lip, making him smile "That's what I thought"

xoxox

"So, if we all get through this in one piece, we'll spend the summer travelling around Britain, France and Bulgaria together?" Fleur looked at her two fellow Champions "Along with any boyfriends and girlfriends that we may wish to invite?"

"Yes" Sophithea nodded "I will have to check with Tara, but I am sure she will be up for it" She paused "But we are agreed that whoever lives in the country we are in is the host?" She smiled at Cedric "Not that I think you need charity, of course"

"Of course" Cedric rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me, but do we not get a say in this?" Antoine asked "After all, I would have thought you will be staying in our castle, for at least part of your trip round France?"

"And our mansion will be occupied during your journey to Bulgaria, will it not?" Drucilla asked. The three Champions exchanged glances, then Fleur and Sophithea turned ot their respective parents.

"Mother, father....."

"Dad, Mum....."

xoxox

"Sweetie" Angela gently touched Sally's arm "Don't make it too obvious, but can you take a look over at where your parents are sitting, then look along about fifteen seats to the left?" Sally stretched, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before turning her head to the left.

A few moments later, she reached up and put her arm around her girlfriend, leaning her head on Angela's shoulder.

"Everyone else is looking very excited and pumped to be here" She said quietly "So why are the two people sat on the edge of the row looking dull eyed, and staring across at Harry and Luna?" She ran her other hand along the top of Angela's leg "Do you think they are the ones we have been looking for?"

"I think it is probable, yes" Angela nodded "So how do we let them know?"

"We could try to get through to Fleur, and see if she can talk to Luna" Sally suggested "Or maybe make some kind of cryptic announcement before she starts The Third Task?"

"Can you keep a watch on them? And on everyone? I will see if I can.... you know"

"Okay" Sally nodded "I will just tell everyone you are drunk" Angela snorted in amusement, then closed her eyes.

xoxox

"I think you will like London" Cedric said to Sophithea, then he glanced at Fleur and realised she was staring off into the distance, not really focusing on anything "There are a lot of tourist attractions in the non-magical area that have magical sections built into them"

"I have heard of such things" Drucilla nodded "The Bastille, I think, has a large magical section underneath" She paused, then looked at Fleur "Miss Delacour?" Everyone looked over at Fleur, but she was still staring off into space "Miss Delacour?" 

"Give me a second" Cedric reached out and touched Fleur's shoulder, shaking it slightly. A moment later, she turned round and looked at him and smiled.

"Sorry - I guess I just drifted off for a moment" She said, then she realised everyone was staring at her "I was just thinking about The Third Task and I suppose my mind wandered" She turned slightly pink "My apologies"

"Are you sure you are alright, my girl?" Antoine asked.

"Yes, father" Fleur nodded "As I said, I just allowed my mind to wander and I think it wandered further than I planned" She smiled "But I have it back under control now, and if I am right, we are about to be interrupted by something more important anyway"

"Ladies and gentlemen" Fudge's voice came from the doors to The Great Hall "While it most sincerely warms my heart to see everyone getting along so well, I am sorry to announce I have to break up this happy scene, because it is time for our three Champions to make their way out to the stadium for The Third Task" He smiled "Friends and family are of course welcome to make their way to the stands"

The four adults turned to their respective children.

"We will see you out there?" Antoine asked.

"Yes, father" Fleur nodded.

"Very well" He walked over, and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. A second later, her mother did the same thing, though Fleur noticed a slight flash of confusion on her face as she did. Both Bratvala and Drucilla embraced their daughter, then all four adults turned and followed Severus out of The Hall. 

"So what were you seeing?" Cedric asked Fleur when the three Champions were alone. 

"It wasn't that" Fleur shook her head "Angela and Sally think they have found Dumbledore's minions, and they wanted to know if I could get a message to Harry and Luna before The Task started"

"You realise how crazy you both sound, right?" Sophithea asked with a wide grin.

"Yes" Fleur and Cedric replied in unison.

"Just so long as you know" She replied, then glanced over at Fudge, who was still stood in the doorway "I guess we should be going?"

"I suppose" Cedric paused "Good luck - both of you"

"Good luck to us all" Sophithea replied, then she slipped her arm through Cedric's. A moment later, Fleur copied her movement on the other side, and - arm in arm - all three Champions walked out of The Great Hall, followed by a slightly bemused looking Fudge.

xoxox

Dumbledore looked up in surprise as Alastor Moody walked through the door to the cabin. 

"Alastor? I thought you were not interested in assisting me with this" He said, reaching for his wand. 

"I reconsidered what you said" Moody replied in a matter of fact tone "If this Lovegood chit is as dangerous as you say, then you will need someone else to help you" He paused "I read about what happened to McGonagall, and if you are thinking about doing the same thing to me, then think twice, Albus, because I will have your own wand at your throat before you can move" Dumbledore froze, then slowly lowered his hand.

"If everything goes to plan, Lovegood and Harry will be here in about an hour or so" Dumbledore said calmly "The portkeys that my agents have will bring them to the front garden, and the area is warded for one way travel only so they will not be able to escape"

"If the Lovegood girl is as powerful as you fear, are you sure they won't be prepared for that?" Moody asked.

"The wards are set on a rotating magical interfence pattern" Dumbledore said with a smile "No matter how powerful she is, she won't be able to see the changes given how fast they are"

"I hope you are right, because once their friends realise they are gone they are going to come after you" He said calmly "And if McGonagall is not too far gone, they might be able to rip this place out of her mind"

"They wouldn't....." 

"SHE IS A CRIMINAL, ALBUS" Moody bellowed at him "She is a criminal, and the moment you kidnap the Potter heir and the Lovegood girl, they will not hesitate to use any means at their disposal to find them, including using a mind-shredder on McGonagall if they think it will help" Dumbledore stared back at him. 

"Once we have them here, we will deal with the Lovegood girl, and then take Harry somewhere no one will find him until he is ready to fulfil his destiny" He smiled "Trust me, Alastor - this is our moment, and this is when we will win the war"

xoxox

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS! WELCOME TO THE THIRD TASK OF THE TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT!" Fudge's magically enhanced voice echoed through the stadium and there was a huge burst of cheering and applause at his announcement. 

"As you can see, the famous Hogwarts Quidditch pitch ahs temporarily been turned into a hedge maze. In a few moments, our three Champions will enter this maze, one at a time, where they will face trials both physical and mental" Fudge continued in a slightly less expansive voice "They will make their way through the maze to the centre, and the first one there - the first one to touch The Tri-Wizard Chalice - will be declared the winner" He paused, then turned to where Fleur, Sophithea and Cedric were stood. 

"The Champions will enter one by one, based on their previous peformances" He glanced down at the parchment in front of him "Cedric Diggory, with fifty three points, will go in first. Sophithea Queen, with fifty one points, will go in five seconds later and Fleur Delacour, with forty one points, will go in ten seconds later" He then gestured to the two pairs of three mirrors, one set on either side of the stadium.

"Much like The Second Task, you will be able to follow the progress of our Three Champions via the magical mirrors, so you can cheer on your favourite as they go"

xoxox

"That's going to make things a little more complicated" Cedric said quietly "Do we have to make this look real now?"

"Professor Flitwick said the spell will only work as long as we wear the rings" Sophithea said "So what if - the moment we get inside this maze - we accidentally lose the rings?"

"Won't they find that suspicious?" Fleur looked up at where Fudge was still addressing the crowd, then over to where Filius and Pomona were walking over to them "Are we going to be able to explain it?"

"You are asking us that?" Sophithea smirked "And besides, if tonight ends how we want it to end, is anyone really going to care what happens in the lead up to it?" Cedric and Luna exchanged glances, then they both smiled "I'll take that as a no"

"We'll throw Voldemort off that bridge when we come to it" Fleur said, then all three Champions turned to face Filius and Pomona.

"You remember how the spell works from last time?" Filius asked.

"Yes, Professor" All three replied in unison.

"Very well then - lets begin"

xoxox

"Husband of mine" Arvelle looked down from the stands as the two Hogwarts Professors placed the spells on the three students "Is it just me, or does our daughter seem like she is not herself?"

"It is not just you, mi amore" Antoine replied "If I did not know any better, I would say that she reminds me a great deal of young Miss Lovegood" He paused, then tilted his head to one side "Is it possible?"

"It's possible" Arvelle nodded "But why? Why would our daughter risk her magic by not competing, just to let a girl four years her junior take her place?"

"There is the proxy rule" Antoine pointed out "But you are right, that still does not answer the question" He let his eyes wander round the stadium "Mi amore, if that is the daughter of Xeno down there, could that be our child in the stands over there?" His wife followed his gaze, then closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Yes - I can feel her magic calling out" Arvelle blinked "They are not sat with the others - with Miss Granger and Mister Longbottom"

"No" Her husband shook his head "They are over there, and the other two are over there" He gestured quickly "Their parents are also spread out as well - almost as if...."

"As if they are on guard, or waiting and watching for something" Arvelle leaned forward, looking around the stadium "All of them are watching and waiting for something..... and if she is up in the stands, then the fear it is a trap of some type" She paused "So the question becomes what do we do?"

"What can we do?" Antoine pointed out "If we go down there and reveal who she is, it will be chaos. Cedric and Sophithea will accuse her of cheating, she might be expelled from The Tournament, from Beauxbatons" He fell silent for a moment "And if it is a trap then we might spring it early"

"So we just sit and watch?" Arvelle asked quietly "We watch the girl take part in the task, and watch our daughter watch them?"

"I think we have to" Antoine said "Because there is one other option that we haven't considered" He paused "What if this is a trap, but it is not a trap for them?" His wife turned to stare at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"What if this is a trap that THEY are setting for someone else?"

xoxox

"And so!" Fudge's voice was full of excitement "Now that our three Champions have been prepared, we are ready to go. So without further ado, let me introduce our Champions!"

"In first place, and ready to enter the maze first, Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts!" As Cedric stepped forward the Hogwarts section of the stands exploded into applause "In second place, and starting five second later, Sophithea Queen from Durmstrang!" Sophithea took a bow as her fellow students started cheering and applauding "And finally, staring ten seconds after Miss Queen, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons!" The French section of the stands started clapping and cheering as Fleur gave a polite curtsey. 

"So, Mister Diggory - if you are ready?" Fudge asked, and Cedric nodded "Then - BEGIN!" Cedric cast a brief glance at Fleur, then he drew his wand and ran into the maze. 

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Miss Queen - go!" Fudge called out. Sophithea smiled at Fleur, then drew her wand and ran into the maze as well. 

"And....... Three. Two. One. Miss Delacour - go!" Fleur glanced around the stadium, then drew her wand and ran into the maze. 

Once inside she glanced up at the floating ball that was hovering over her, and smiled.

"Light and Dark Left Ten Then Five, Oz and Ogra" She said, then she reached down and yanked the ring off her finger.

xoxox

"Light and Dark Left Ten Then Five, Oz and Ogra" Fleur's voice filled the stadium, then a moment later her mirror went dark. A few seconds later, Cedric's mirror went black, followed a second later by Sophithea's. Hermione and Neville exchanged glances, then looked across to where Sally's parents were sitting, scanning along the row. 

"That's them?" Hermione asked quietly.

"They do seem to be a little..... distracted" Neville replied, then he looked over to where Harry and Luna were sat "It's quite a way from A to B"

"I am not sure we can move them without it seeming obvious" Hermione sighed, then she furrowed her brow "They've been sat there for a while, yes?"

"I think so" Neville nodded.

"But Harry and Luna were sat there just as the stadium started filling up" Hermione said quietly "So whoever those two people are, they picked those seats knowing full well where their targets were sitting" She glanced Dumbledore's two agents, then across to where Harry and Luna were sat "They must have a plan already" Neville smiled.

"That makes sense" He looked around the rest of the stadium "So how do we tell the others?"

xoxox

"Light and Dark?" Sophithea asked as Fleur walked up to her and Cedric.

"Sally's parents" Cedric explained "Their real names are Faith and Damian" Sophithea looked at him in polite confusion "Damian is the name of the antichrist in a series of films, and Faith is the power that stopped him taking over the world" He smirked "Luna thought it was funny"

"I would imagine" Sophithea grinned "And the rest?"

"The two people Dumbledore sent to kidnap Harry and Luna are sat fifteen seats to the left of Sally's parents, and when they spring their trap they will find Dumbledore and Moody waiting for them" Fleur paused "It might not make much of a difference, but giving them as much notice as possible seemed wise" She looked around "So - how are we going to do this?"

"Are we allowed to help each other? Under the rules?" Cedric asked "It won't cost us our magic? Or them their magic?"

"Apparently the people who made the rules never contemplated the idea of the Champions helping each other out" Sophithea said "They thought each one would have a winner-takes-all blood-thirsty attitude" She shrugged "I think our way is probably better, even if it does mean I am going to come last"

"Yeah - sorry about that" Cedric smiled apologetically "But you are going to help save the world from the most dangerous Dark Lord in living memory. That has to look good on a CV" Sophithea laughed.

"True" She nodded "So - I'll take the lead, and scout out any traps, and you to follow behind me to deal with any problems I might miss?" She saw the reluctant looks on their faces "Look - I know it means I will be in more danger, but we can't risk either of you being hurt, or Avo helps us, killed before you get to face Voldemort" She paused "That didn't come out quite as I meant it" They grinned.

"Okay - you go first" Fleur said "But be careful"

"Yes, mother" Sophithea rolled her eyes, then turned round and held her wand up "Okay. Lets go"

xoxox

"Filius? Pomona?" Severus and Fudge walked over to the two Professors "Is there any way we can restart the spell?" 

"I am afraid not, Minister, Headmaster" Pomona shook her head "Part of the security of the spell is that it has to be consent based, and that they have to done in person"

"Otherwise they would be too easy to use to spy on people" Filius continued.

"So we can't find out how they are progressing?" Fudge looked between the two teachers. 

"I understand your annoyance, Minister" Pomona said "And there is even the possibility that, in this instance, they might not mind, but we cannot modify the spell - it doesn't work like that" Fudge looked over at Severus.

"Can we restart The Task? Call them all back and recast the spells?" He asked hopefully.

"If we declare The Task over then The Tournament will be considered over" Severus replied calmly "This means Mister Diggory will win and be declared The Tri-Wizard Champion" He saw Fudge open his mouth "Before you continue, consider this - if you unilaterally declare it over, or order someone to declare it over - for any reasons not laid out in the rules, then one of three things can happen" He paused "The first is that you will lose your magic, because The Goblet of Fire will see this as an attempt to favour one Champion over another. The second is that both Madame Maxime and Karkaroff could accuse you of trying to favour Mister Diggory over their Champions, and not only will you lose your magic but also be subject to legal prosecution" Fudge stared at him, eyes wide.

"And the third?"

"Nothing what so ever" Severus smiled "But given the severity of the first two, are you sure you wish to risk it?"

"Perhaps not" Fudge shook his head "So what can we do?"

"We can wait" Severus replied "Wait, and see what happens" Fudge stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked back over to the front of the maze.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" He said, taking a deep breath "It would seem that our monitoring spells have gone a little haywire, so I am afraid that we are not going to be able to see what our three Champions are doing for the rest of The Task" He paused "So while the evening will be a little less entertaining than I had hoped, please enjoy the rest of The Task" He cancelled the magnifications pell on his voice and walked back over ot the teachers.

"Could we use the snitches to act like...... "

xoxox

"Remote cameras?" Fleur asked as Sophithea peered round a corner, pointing her wand down the next aisle of the maze.

"Remember the CCTV cameras you set up in The Dreamland?" Cedric replied as they followed Sophithea round the corner "If they can't use the snitches to spy on us directly, could they use them to watch the general area?"

"Watch my back?" She closed her eyes as Cedric turned to watch the way they had just come. A moment later she opened them up "You are good, my sweet - our beloved Minister is just asking the staff about that now" 

"Can we stop them?" 

"Wands!" Sophithea yelled, and both Fleur and Cedric span round, pointing their wands towards her, then they cast a pair of stunning spells that flew either side of her, striding the skrewt that was shambling towards them. Sophithea cast a third, and the creature eventually stopped, coming to a halt just a few feet away. 

"I love Hagrid, but sometimes I just want to slap him silly" Fleur sighed "We just need to stop for a moment - the judges and staff are about six minutes away from getting the snitches to act as..... as flying cameras"

"That doesn't sound good" Sophithea said "How can we get around it?"

"That's the problem" Cedric said quickly "If we specifically hide ourselves, then it is entirely possible they are going to wonder why we are doing it" He paused "Although they are already going to know we are hiding ourselves because we took off our rings"

"On the other hand if we cast a blanket spell to cover the entire maze, then they might just think the spell has failed" Fleur added "But they might find a way around it, and we don't have time to counter every possibility" 

"Do we care if they watch?" Sophithea looked between them, then she shook her head "Of course - they would see us working together, and would get curious" She paused "What do you need me to do?"

xoxox

"Headmaster, Minister - I think we are ready" Pomona took a deep breath, then looked at Filius "On three?" Filius nodded "Three. Two. One. Now!" They cast their spells simultaneously, and for a moment the mirrors flashed bright white, but then went dark again. Filius blinked in surprise, then looked over at Pomona.

"Shall we......" He started, then he gasped in surprise as the three mirrors exploded outwards "PROTEGO!" He belatedly realised that three other voices had shouted the spell at the same time, and smiled as the falling glass was swept up in a net of yellow light.

"So that didn't go as well as planned" Severus said dryly "I take it there is no Plan B"

xoxox

Cedric, Fleur and Sophithea all watched as the mirrors exploded.

"Not exactly what I had planned" Fleur admitted "But at least it doesn't look as if it was our fault" She took a deep breath "So - shall we continue?"

xoxox

Pettigrew walked into a clearing in the graveyard, and set up the cauldron. Casting a fire charm, he smiled as the water started bubbling. He walked over to the nearest tomb, and layed out the tools and ingredients for the ritual. Checking that all of them were in place, and in the right order, he turned and walked back up to the house.

Making his way through the building, he entered the living room.

"My Lord, it is time" He went down on one knee "May I be given the honour of carrying you?" 

"Yes, Peter" The whispering voice came back "You may"

xoxox

Sophithea peered round the corner, then gulped.

"Do either of you know how to deal with a magical spider the size of a horse?" She asked quietly.

"Please tell me you are asking because you are thinking of forming a trio of house clearing mages who will deal exclusively with abandoned properties?" Cedric replied with a sigh.

"I wish I was" Sophithea backed up a few steps "I am guessing we can't kill it?"

"Can we?" Fleur shrugged "Probably" She paused "Should we? Probably not. If the rest of the clan found out, we would all be dead before dawn, and the rest of the school would follow soon after"

"That would be bad" Sophithea said calmly "We can't go round it - this is the only way through to The Chalice"

"Fleur" Cedric took a deep breath "How do you feel about being bait?" 

"You say the sweetest things" Fleur batted her eyes at him "Give me one second....." She closed her eyes, then nodded to herself "Okay - go for the legs, they are the weakest point, But don't kill it - it won't end well"

"Yes boss" Cedric and Sophithea both saluted, then Fleur took two steps forward, and drew her wand "And if you could make sure I don't die, I would be grateful" Before they replied, she darted forward and into the area the acromantula was occupying.

"Hey attercup!" Cedric and Sophithea heard her yell "Your mother spins tea-cosies!" They exchanged amused grins, then charged forward to see the spider turning round to follow Fleur down a side path.

"Incarcerous!"

"Incarcerous!" Two sets of thick ropes shot across the clearing and wrapped themselves around the legs of the spider. It tottered on for a second, then fell on to the ground, unable to move any further.

They watched it for a few more seconds, then they walked round it to where Fleur was stood at the exit of the clearing.

"Are you sure taunting and teasing a horse sized magical spider was the best idea?" Sophithea asked. Fleur shrugged.

"We're about to fight the most powerful Dark Lord in a century" She said calmly "The worst thing this spider could do is kill me" She turned to face it "Hagrid will free you once we are gone - no one will hurt you" The spider glared back at her "If you hurt anyone, including my friends here, I will hunt down every member of your clan and torture them to death" She stared at it intently "Am I clear?"

"Yes, young human, you are clear" The spider hissed.

"Good" Fleur smiled, then turned to her friends "Shall we?"

xoxox

"So how do you think it's going?" Angela asked, then she jumped to her feet as the hedge maze started to fade away.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS!!" Fudge's voice echoed through the evening sky again "We have a winner!" 

xoxox

"Won't all the creatures get loose?" Hermione asked, staring down at the rapidly disappearing hedges.

"Wards, maybe?" Neville replied.

xoxox

"Is that our daughter?" Bratvala stared down at Sophithea, who was stood in the middle of the now vanished maze.

"Our daughter won The Tournament?" Drucilla jumped up, sounding excited, then her face fell "Where are Fleur and Cedric?" 

xoxox

"THE WINNER OF THE TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT IS......"

"NO!" Sophithea's voice echoed through the stadium, silencing Fudge and most of the crowd. She saw the faint outline of the wards that had replaced the hedges, then she saw a path that lead to the outside of the maze.

She ran down it, wand drawn, and into the area where Fudge, Severus, Filius and Pomona were waiting.

"Miss Queen - what's wrong?" Severus asked.

"Fleur and Cedric reached The Chalice ahead of me" She paused, taking a deep breath "They were pointing wands at each other and then....... then they seemed to come to some kind of arrangement, because they both reached out and touched The Chalice at the same time" 

"Then what happened?" A deep voice asked, and Sophithea turned to see Fleur's parents stood behind her, and saw Angela, Sally, Hermione and Neville moving down the stands towards them, while Harry and Hermione were making their way along one of the rows.

"They....... they vanished" She said "They touched The Chalice and they just vanished in a swirl of blue light" 

"A portkey?" Filius looked at Severus "Is that possible?"

"It shouldn't be" Severus shook his head "Can you trace it?"

"I don't know" Filius admitted "I can try" He looked back at Sophithea "Is there anything else that you can tell me?"

xoxox

Luna and Harry started walking down the side of the stands, then stopped about half way down.

"Ready?" Luna whispered.

"Not in the least" Harry replied. He glanced to his left, and saw the two people Fleur had identified walking down the steps behind them "But I guess we are out of time" He smiled at her "See you on the other side"

"Not if I....." Luna started, but before she could finish she felt the touch of a hand on her back, and a moment later she was swirling through the air.


	22. The Harbinger and The Lords

Fleur and Cedric landed with a jolt, then looked around.

"A graveyard?" Cedric asked.

"Wands out?" Fleur suggested. Cedric nodded and they both drew their wands.

"So what do you want to do?" Cedric scanned the area, then looked back at Fleur "Where are they going to come from?"

"See that large chapel over there?" Fleur gestured to a building in the corner "Peter is in their with the...... creature that is Voldemort" She paused "They will be out in about five minutes or so" She took a deep breath "Whatever happens, go with it. Right now, our friends are doing what we need to make sure that we will have help when we need it"

"Always good" Cedric smiled "And you're sure there's nothing else we can do to sway the odds?" Fleur closed her eyes for a moment, then she shook her head "Right now, things are pretty much where we need them" She smiled "So for the next few minutes we just have to look around so they can spring their trap"

xoxox

Harry and Luna landed with a jolt, then looked around.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. 

"Wands......" Luna started, but before she could finish they heard a voice behind them.

"Miss Lovegood, Mister Potter - please hand over your wands" Dumbledore said in a remarkably polite voice "And do not make any other moves - my associate has a very paranoid nature and will stun you before you can so much as sneeze" Harry and Luna exchanged glances, then they both slowly reached inside their robes, extracted their wands by the tips and dropped them on the ground behind them.

"Thank you" Dumbledore summoned the two wands to him "Now, if you would both turn around I think we have a lot to discuss" Luna left his gaze drift to the other figure, standing in the shadow. 

"I would have thought a retired Master Auror would have been arresting a fugitive, not aiding and abetting him in kidnapping and murder, Mr Moody" She said quietly "You know that when my friends, and The DMLE, come for us, you will be thrown in Azkaban for just being here"

"Albus asked for my help, missy" Moody replied "And he made a good case" So don't put up a fight, or you and Potter will regret it"

"You won't kill him" Luna said confidently "You need him to kill Voldemort. Kill him, and The Dark Lord will win" Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow. 

"We may not be able to kill him, Miss Lovegood, but that protection does not extend to you" He said calmly.

"That's true" Luna admitted "But you are going to kill me anyway, aren't you?"

xoxox

Hermione, Neville, Angela and Sally were in the Headmaster's office, along with their parents, Sirius, Xeno, Amelia, Tonks and Severus. 

"So let met see if I have this straight" Severus stared at the four students "Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory were not in the maze tonight?" 

"No, sir" Hermione shook her head.

"And they were not transported by the portkey?"

"No, sir" Hermione shook her head again.

"It was Harry and Luna?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, m'am" Neville nodded.

"How did you get around The Tournament rules?" Amelia frowned "I would have thought....."

"Fleur nominated Luna as her proxy, and Cedric nominated Harry as his" Angela responded "The forms were filed a week ago, and the swap took place just before the parents meeting tonight" 

"And the reason you decided not to inform me of this?" Severus asked archly.

"We decided on this plan three or four months ago, Headmaster" Sally said, returning his gaze "I am afraid that we could not take the risk that Voldemort would rip it out of your head in the tween time" Severus stared back at her.

"I take your point, Miss Perks" He said after a few moments "Would there also have been a question of trusting me not to inform my other master?"

"No sir" Sally shook her head "I have it on good authority that both Luna and Harry trust you, however they could not take the risk that your occlumency shields might waver" She paused "We meant no offence, Headmaster, but......" She stopped as Severus waved his hand.

"I entirely understand, Miss Perks - you do not need to explain any further" He paused "I can tell you where Fleur and.... where Harry and Luna were transported to. As to where the real Fleur and Cedric are - I am afraid but I have no idea"

"That is alright, Headmaster" Hermione smiled "Because we know how to find them, even if we don't know where they are right now" She realised Amelia, Tonks and Severus were all staring at them incredulously.

"You....." Amelia shook her head "How?"

"We dosed all four of them with a potion before The Task began" Neville said "It has an incredibly powerful magical signature that should be easy enough to pick up with the underage magic detection grid" He smiled at Amelia "Assuming, of course, we can have access to that?" 

"What about the wards around Dumbledore's location?" Severus asked.

"When my brother says incredibly powerful, he is understating the matter" Angela said with a proud smile "We will be able to find it no matter what wards are in the way" She paused "However before you ask, no - we can't share the potion with you. It is tailored to the person who takes it, and with all due to respect to you and The DMLE in general, there is far too much danger for abuse if we hand this over to The Ministry" Amelia blinked in surprise.

"You don't think such a potion would be useful for - say - tracking criminals who have escaped? So that they cant hide under wards?" Tonks asked.

"You don't think such a potion would be useful for - say - Dumbledore when he wanted to find and kidnap Harry after he was liberated from the illegal prison?" Hermione countered. Tonks tilted her head to one side, then shrugged.

"I suppose" She admitted "So what are we going to do?"

"Luna made a suggestion" Neville said "But it is just a suggestion"

"Go ahead, Mister Longbottom" Severus said.

"Director Bones - you take as many DMLE agents as you can muster to find Harry and Luna. Since The Headmaster created the portkey, he must know where it took them"

"I do" He nodded.

"Meanwhile....." Neville took a deep breath "The team that liberated 32 will go to The Ministry, find out where Fleur and Cedric are and go and rescue them and deal with Dumbledore" He paused "Director, you are going to need to give us access to the underage magic detection grid, and you are going to have to convince The Minister to look the other way when we bring Dumbledore to The Ministry"

"Trust me - if you, or your parents, can bring Dumbledore in, no one is going to worry how you did it" Amelia said with a laugh "Okay - we all return to The Ministry and leave from there" She glanced at her watch "You have ten minutes to get your team together, and your things together" She looked around the room "I would ask that you leave the children behind, but somehow I am not convinced you will pay any attention, but if you are not here in ten minutes, you will be left behind"

xoxox

Fleur walked up to a tomb, and blinked in surprise at the row of instruments and ingredients that were laid out on top of it, but before she could call out to Cedric, she heard him call out to her.

"Fleur!" She turned, then as a narrow beam of light coming from the building in the distance. She sprinted up to stand beside him as the beam widened - she realised a moment later a door was opening.

They both raised their wands, but a moment later she looked over as Cedric winced as a squat figure came out of the door.

"Are you alright?" She asked, but Cedric winced again.

"Headache" He said quietly "I think this is it" He took a deep breath "Ready?"

"Never been more so" She replied, then they both watched as the figure came closer.

xoxox

"Why would we kill you?" Dumbledore asked sounding genuinely surprised "Luna, Luna, Luna. You have a truly amazing gift, and I think that - with proper nuturing - it could become a powerful weapon in the fight against the dark"

"And if I chose to use this weapon on behalf of Cornelius Fudge or Director Bones?" Luna asked calmly "Or if I chose to make my own way in the fight against the dark?"

"You are young, Miss Lovegood, and very naive" He shook his head "I am afraid that you do not have the wisdom or the experience to truly appreciate what needs doing - the sacrifices that need making in order to make sure that the darkness will be defeated once and for all"

"And you do?" Harry asked "Because you will have to forgive us if we are reluctant to take advice from someone who is on the run from The Ministry and less than a year ago left the two of us and our best friend to be kissed by a horde of dementors"

"I offered you a chance to come with me, Harry, and you turned me down" Dumbledore replied harshly "A mistake that I hope you have learned from"

"Oh I learned something from that, Headmaster" Harry replied in a deadpan voice "I definitely learned something" Dumbledore stared at Harry, then slowly let his gaze drift back to Luna. 

"Now that we have established that I have no desire to kill you, Miss Lovegood, shall we continue?" He said in a calmer tone "Because I feel that you have not fully grasped the precariousness of your position in our world"

"Why don't you enlighten me, Professor" Luna said sarcastically. 

"There are a lot of people out there who will be afraid of your gift, Luna" Dumbledore said, trying to sound avuncular "There will be those who think that someone with your powers, your abilities is a threat to the freedom and the security of our society. That you would pose a bigger danger than all of the previous Dark Lords combined"

"And don't tell me - you know a way to counter that fear? To counter that perception?" Harry asked.

"I can protect you" Dumbledore said "I can protect you from the dangers that will befall you once your gift becomes public knowledge - from the threats and risks that you are going to face from the rest of our world" He paused "After all, I have done it before. I protected you - both of you - from The Dark Lord and ensured that he would not be able to harm or hurt you"

"Protect us?" Luna sneered at him "By having my father arrested? By kidnapping me and holding me agianst my will? Forgive me if I am not eager to rush back in to the loving arms of your protection again, Headmaster"

"Use all the sarcasm you want, my dear, but I KEPT YOU SAFE!" Dumbledore yelled at her "Do you know how many dangers I protected you from while you were in Little Whinging?"

"While we were in 32?" Harry asked "If you want us to trust you, Dumbledore - if you want us to come back to your loving embrace the least you can do is stop trying to whitewash the past"

"The name is immaterial" Dumbledore waved his hand "You are focusing on the wrong parts. The truth is I kept you safe - safe from Voldemort's reprisals, safe from those who would have taken your gift and used it for their own selfish ends, safe from those who would have seen both of you dead before you were old enough to understand what was going on" He stared at them calmly "Something I can do again"

xoxox

Amelia lead the group through The Ministry, then came to a halt outside The DMLE.

"Sirius, Xeno - the detection net is through that door. Mafalda is waiting for you and will show you how to work the net to find out what you want" She glanced at the other eight people with them "The DMLE has an apparation point where you will able to leave from, but you won't be able to return"

"We won't be coming back here, Minister" Xeno replied, then looked at Severus "Will we, Severus?"

"We either return to Hogwarts, or we don't return at all" He looked at Amelia "Tonight we settle all family business" She glanced at the four children stood with the group.

"You would lead four children to their death?" She asked.

"Director - they are not leading us" Hermione said quietly "We are leading them" She paused "Plus, you know, we aren't going to die" Amelia smiled.

"Then may Merlin go with you" She replied "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go and organise the largest squad of law enforcement officers ever assembled" She turned and walked down the corridor, then Sirius turned to face the rest of his group.

"Shall we?"

xoxox

"Fleur Delacour. Cedric Diggory" The figure shambled out of the shadows, and they saw it was a man carrying what looked like a small bundle of rags "Please put your wands on top of the gravestone in front of you"

"What if....." Fleur started, but the man in front of them whipped his wand up and pointed it at her.

"CRUCIO!" He snapped, and Fleur fell to the floor, writhing in pain. 

"Stop it!" Cedric yelled, placing his wand on top of the stone in front of him. He bent down and picked up Fleur's wand, then placed it next to his "Okay - stop it!" The man stopped the spell, but didn't lower his arm.

"My name is Peter Pettigrew" He said, and noted the flash of recognition in Cedric's eyes "So you have heard of me?"

"Who hasn't?" Cedric replied darkly. 

"If you have heard of me, then you will know of my reputation and you will know not to test me" He walked over to the clearing and laid the bundle of rags on the top of a flat tomb.

"Cedric - you will tie Fleur up against that statue. Make sure she is secured nice and tight" Pettigrew continued "Then you will go and stand by the cauldron while I make the final preparations"

"Preparations for what?" Fleur asked. 

"For the return of My Lord" Pettigrew replied as if it were obvious. 

xoxox

"Say we agree to this" Luna said calmly "Say that we temporarily lose our minds and agree to be your prisoners again......"

"You would not be my prisoners, just like you were not my prisoners last time" Dumbledore pointed out, but Luna continued as if he hadn't spoken.

".....then what assurances, what guarantees do we have that you won't change your mind?" She asked "You have made it clear that you think I am a far bigger danger to the magical world than Voldemort ever will be, so how can I be sure that you won't just decide to kill me for the greater good?"

"It is truly saddening that you have so little faith in me, Miss Lovegood" Dumbledore shook his head sadly "Do you not understand that - with my guidance - your gift could be the greatest force for good the magical world has ever seen? That we could bring about the golden age of magic and usher in a utopia the likes of which hasn't been since The Time of The Founders"

"You mean when one of them wanted to ban all the first born mages and the other three were forced to kill him because he went nuts?" Harry stared at him with a slight smirk on his face "Because that definitely sounds like something we should try to emulate" 

"Very droll, Mister Potter" Dumbledore turned to look at him "But I think you of all people would be grateful for my offer"

"I would, would I?" Harry asked.

"With Miss Lovegood's help, I would imagine that fulfilling your destiny would become easier" Dumbledore gazed at him placidly "That defeating Voldemort would be simple"

"You are assuming that Luna would be willing to help us" Harry replied "Because I, and others, have repeatedly heard her say that she would rather die than set herself up as as some kind of god-Empress. As someone who controls the destiny of everyone in the magical world" He paused "And I think that would go double for you, Headmaster, because if there is anyone in this world who should not be a god, or an emperor, I think most people would agree your name should be at the top of that list"

"I guided the magical world through two wars, Harry" Dumbledore smiled "And I have educated thousands of children. I believe that the people of our world will be willing to accept me - I believe they will have faith that I am the right man for the job" Harry and Luna exchanged looks, then Harry turned to Moody.

"And you are here because Albus asked for your help?" He asked.

"That's right, boy" Moody gave a single nod.

"You owe him that much?"

"Not sure that's any of your business" Moody replied.

"If you're going to help him keep us prisoner for the rest of our lives, I'd say it's a little of our business, Retired Master Auror" Luna said in a sharp voice.

"You can't see the reasons, girl?" Moody asked "I thought you could see anything?"

"Then I guess we both have something to learn" Luna replied "I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours" Moody stared at her for a moment, then laughed.

"You've got spunk, my girl. I can see why Albus wants you so bad" He grinned "But my reasons are my own, Miss Lovegood, and they are going to stay that way. So you will not have to show me yours - as fun as that might sound"

"Your loss" Luna looked back at Dumbledore "May I ask you a question, Headmaster?"

"Of course. If we are going to be working together, I would encourage you to get comfortable with me" Dumbledore smiled.

"If my gift - my unique and powerful gift - is as powerful as you believe it to be, how are you going to keep control of me?" Luna stared at him, a slight smirk on her lips "If I can manipulate the future - bend it to my own will - then how will you stop me bending the future to ensure Harry and I escape? How will you even know that I am doing it?" She took a step forward and tilted her head to one side "I can literally reshape the world to my design, Headmaster. If I wanted, I could blind you and Moody right now, or give you both heart attacks or strokes. I could kill you with my mind and you would not be able to stop me" She smiled "So my question would be are you sure you can keep control of me?"

xoxox

"They are there" Hermione pointed to two glowing dots in the highlands of Scotland "Can you zoom in?" She looked at Mafalda Hopkirk, who nodded then waved her hands. The group watched as the map zoomed in and got more and more detailed, until suddenly a large black square appeared in the centre.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger" Mafalda said "It would appear that....." She trailed off in surprise as the two green dots reappeared to the left of the black square.

"What does the black square mean?" Angela asked. 

"Unplottable location" Hermione said before Mafalda could reply "The entire area is warded so magic can't be tracked in that area" 

"Very good, Miss Granger" Mafalda nodded "Can you explain how we can see those dots?"

"A potion we gave Fleur and Cedric - it puts out an incredibly powerful magical field that can penetrate almost any wards" Neville said "And to answer your next question, no - it's private" He paused "Can you tell what kind of wards there are there?"

"Give me a moment....." Mafalda waved her hands again, then sighed "I can't sorry - which means the top level ward is most likely some kind of magical shielding ward" She paused "There could be anything under there - anti-portkey, anti-apparation, a line of death......" 

"The potion wouldn't be working if they were dead" Sally supplied.

".....so if you are going - which I am guessing is why you wanted to know where they are - I would suggest you land just outside then make your way inside after you cast some kind of detection spells" Mafalda finished.

"Thank you for your advice, Madame Hopkirk" Sirius smiled "Now - if you will excuse us, we have to go"

"Take care" Mafalda looked at the four students "I assume I should ignore any warnings I get for you four tonight?"

"And Luna and Harry as well" Hermione said "Because if my guess is right in about five or ten minutes, your detector is going to light up in a way that even Merlin hasn't seen" She smiled "If it helps, it is in a very good cause"

"Of that I have no doubt" Mafalda replied "I will keep an eye out for it. Stay safe"

"We'll try" Hermione replied, then she turned and followed Sirius and the others out the door.

xoxox

"Sorry about this" Cedric said as he tied Fleur to the statue Pettigrew had indicated.

"Don't worry about it" She gave him a faint smile "I am more worried about you - whatever this ritual is, I am certain that it will probably involve harming you in some way" She glanced over to where Pettigrew appeared to be talking to the bundle of rags he had laid on the top of the flat tomb "Is that......" She paused, then lowered her voice "Cedric - do you think that that is Voldemort?" Cedric looked over his shoulder, then back at his friend.

"I think it might be" He paused "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

"That if we can them by surprise......" She nodded "Can you get our wands back?"

"Probably not" Cedric admitted, then he smirked "So it's probably a good thing we didn't give him our real wands" He looked over his shoulder again "I think I have pretended to tie you up enough. So - I will wait for you to make your move, then I will blast the bundle of rags for all I am worth"

"I will take down Pettigrew, the cauldron, the father's bones - anything they need" She took a breath "But I will make sure his Dark Mark is left intact"

"Okay" He finished binding her to the statue, then kissed her on the cheek "Once again, I'm sorry" He turned round and faced Pettigrew, then walked over to him.

"Get this over with" He said darkly.

xoxox

"She makes a good point, Albus" Moody looked over at his friend "If she is everything you say she is, then how do we know that anything we do is our idea?" He gave Luna a quick glance, then looked back at Dumbledore "For all we know, everything we are saying now - this entire discussion, this entire situation - was entirely orchestrated by her. We could just be acting out a play, written and directed by her" Dumbledore stared back at him, then turned to look at Luna. 

"I thought you swore you would never use your powers to strip someone of their free will, Miss Lovegood" He said in a slightly derogatory tone "Or did that only apply to those people you deemed worthy of keeping their free will?"

"No - it applies to everyone" Luna said in a placid tone "I would no more strip your free will away from you than I would Voldemort's or Harry's" She paused "But there are a lot of things I can do without stripping away someone's free will" She looked around, then focused on a tree in the distance "If there is a future where that tree bursts in to flames, or gets struck by lightening, I could ensure it happens" She smiled "And if I can make a tree burst into flames, then I can make a house burst into flames. And if I can make a house burst into flames, do you really think there is anything I cannot do?" 

"There are ways, Miss Lovegood" Dumbledore said sadly "I suspect the amount of influence you could have on this world would be very limited indeed if you were locked in a stone cell that was barely bigger than you are"

"And if there is a future where that stone cell collapses, or the door swings open, or the roof gets ripped off by a rogue hippogriff......" Luna smiled back at him "Professor Dumbledore - the older I get, the more powerful I will become. By the time I come of age, you will not be able to build a prison that can hold me....." She trailed off, then looked over at Harry ".....nor show me a future where I will work for you. My friends will always be here for me, Professor. You can either let me go home to them, or you can kill me" 

"If you are not with me, you are against me" Dumbledore replied, his voice becoming firm "And I can't let you stand against me"

"There are four things you should keep in mind, Professor" Harry said "If you are going to murder my girlfriend in cold blood"

"Indeed" Dumbledore turned to face him "And what would they be?"

"First - killing someone who can see every possible future coming is a lot harder than you would think" Luna said "Everything you can do, everything you can think of, I can see coming"

"Second - to get to her, you will have to come through me" Harry said "And given your obsession with my destiny, and your blind faith that I am the only one who can kill Voldemort, I don't think you will do that" He paused "But if you somehow manage to kill her without killing me, I promise you that I will be dead within the next breath"

"Harry......"

"Third" Luna continued as if Dumbledore hadn't spoken "You are so very, badly out numbered" Dumbledore and Moody stared at them as if they were crazy, then they both started laughing.

"There are two of us, girl, and two of you" Moody said "So unless I am missing something...." 

"Look again, Mr Moody" Luna said softly, and smiled as Sirius, Remus, Xeno, Severus, Hermione, Neville, Angela and Sally walked into view, all with their wands raised and pointed at the two men. A moment later, Jessica and Owen appeared, both carrying assault rifles and pistols.

"Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody - you are under arrest. Dumbledore - please hand your wand over to Mrs Granger. Moody - please hand your wand over to Mr Granger" Severus said in a calm, cold voice "If you deviate from these instructions, we will not hesitate to kill you where you stand" Dumbledore stared back at his former Potions Master.

"Severus - you have no authority to arrest me, or Alastor"

"Amelia said we could bring you in by any means necessary" Hermione replied, her wand as steady as her voice "Now please do as Headmaster Snape has asked because I wouldn't mind casting as many spells as possible at your head, and my mother hasn't shot anyone in a very long time and has a very itchy trigger finger" Dumbledore stared at her for a moment, then looked back at Luna.

"You said there were four things I should know, Miss Lovegood?" He said questioningly "What was the fourth?" Luna and Harry exchanged glances.

"I think that is the one you will find most amusing" Luna said, then she grinned "The fourth thing you should know before you try to kill me is this" She paused, then smiled "I am not Luna Lovegood" Dumbledore blinked, then shook his head.

"You really expect me to believe that?" He asked, then his mouth fell open in surprise as both Luna and Harry cancelled their glammour spells to reveal Fleur and Cedric. 

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore" Cedric nodded politely.

"Now if you would be so kind as to hand your wands over to Hermione's parents so we can return you to The Ministry" Fleur added "Because I am fairly certain they have a large number of questions they want to ask you" She paused "Especially about what happened to your good and dear friend Minerva McGonagall and why she is now a vegtable"

"You b...." He started to raise his wand, but the sound of a single gunshot reverberated through the air and he fell to the ground, yelling in pain and grasping his ankle. 

"I did warn you about my mother's trigger finger" Hermione said as if she was talking to a recalcitrant child, then she walked over and picked up Dumbledore's wand "Pretty" She looked over at the adults "Can I keep it?"

"I think it belongs to your mother now" Remus said "If someone defeats a wizard, they become the master of the wand" 

"Fair enough" Hermione shrugged, then handed the wand to her mother before looking at Moody "Mr Moody - you have had a long and distinguished career, and there are a lot of people who hold you in very high esteem. You will have to answer some questions, but I am sure you will be able to explain your presence here" She paused "Or my father can shoot you in the leg as well - the good one, not the fake one" Moody stared at her, then gave a short, barking laugh.

"You've got balls, Miss Granger, I'll give you that" He dropped his wand on the floor, then slowly lowered himself to the ground. Hermione picked the wand up and handed it to her father. 

"Remus, Sirius - stunning spells only, then binding spells" She said "Dumbledore, Moody - I'm sorry we have to stun you, but you are both far too good at what you do"

"I understand, Miss Granger" Moody replied.

"Just get it over with" Dumbledore hissed, still holding his ankle.

"Very well" Hermione nodded to Remus and Sirius.

"STUPEFY!"

xoxox

"Mister Diggory - you are about to be witness a truly historic moment - the rebirth of the most powerful, the most magnificent mage of our time" Pettigrew said "You could look a little happier about it"

"I'm sorry" Cedric replied "Forgive me for not being happy about being the instrument that will bring Voldemor...." 

*SLAP*

"YOU WILL NOT SAY HIS NAME!" Pettigrew yelled at him "You are unfit to say his name. You are unfit to even breathe the air that he breathes!"

"Forgive me!" Cedric apologised, bowing his head "I had no idea I was in his presence. Is he here? Where is he, so that I might apologise to his magnificence?" Pettigrew eyed him warily, but took a step back.

"My Lord lies there, ready for this rebirth" Pettigrew pointed to the bundle of rags "And your blood will be the final...."

"REDUCTO!! BOMBARDIA MAXIMUS!! INCENDIO!!" Cedric threw himself to one side as a stream of curses came from behind him. The blasting curse blew the tomb marked "RIDDLE" apart, then the crushing curse exploded the tomb Pettigrew had laid his tools and ingredients out on, then the incendio curse created a ring of fire surrounding the clearing. 

"What...." Pettigrew started, but Cedric punched him as hard as he could, before walking over to the wrecked tomb at the edge of the clearing. 

"STUP....."

"REDUCTO!" Fleur cast another curse at Pettigrew, blasting his right hand off. He screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground. She stalked over to him, and grabbed his wand from him. 

"Good evening, Peter" She said in a conversational voice.

"What..... what......" He spluttered. Fleur stared at him for a moment, then blinked in surprise.

"Oh - yes, you don't remember me" She blushed "Sometimes I would forget me head if it wasn't screwed on" She waved her hand, cancelling the glamour spell "Do you remember me now?"

"Lovegood?" He stared at her in confusion "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to let my boyfriend come alone" She said, then pointed over to the edge of the clearing "You remember my boyfriend?" Pettigrew looked over to where Cedric was stood over Voldemort, his wand pointing down at the helpless homunculus.

"Cedric?" Pettigrew shook his head "You're boyfriend is Cedric?"

"Oh dear - I've forgotten again, haven't I?" Luna pointed her wand at Cedric and gave it a single wave. A moment later, Cedric morphed into Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. The One With The Power To Vanquish The Dark Lord" Luna looked down at Pettigrew "You were right about us witnessing a truly historic moment, Peter - we are going to witness the death of the most powerful Dark Lord in a generation" 

xoxox

Harry stared down at the shrivelled shrunken body in front of him.

"So you are Voldemort?" He asked "The Dark Lord - the most powerful Dark Lord in a generation?" He paused "I remember you as taller" He pointed his wand downwards "DIFFINDO!" He watched impassively as Voldemort's head rolled backwards, then he raised his wand again.

"REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!" He blasted the corpse into bits "INCENDIO MAXIMINUS!" The remains of the body burst into flames, burning bright orange and blue. He watched it burn, and smiled as the ashes blew into the wind. Then he turned away and walked back towards Luna.

"Hello Peter" He stared down at the man lying on the ground "Your Lord and Master is dead. You can either join him, or you can wait for The DMLE to turn up and go to Azkaban for the rest of your life"

"What........ what do you want me to do?" Pettigrew asked.

"Give me your arm" Luna said. Pettigrew slowly lifted his right arm up, but Luna rolled her eyes "Your left arm, Peter" Pettigrew winced, then lowered his right arm and lifted his other arm. Luna smiled, then pressed her wand against the newly revealed Dark Mark.

Glancing at Harry, she grinned.

"Don't try this at home - it won't end well" She said, then looked down at Pettigrew's arm "MORSEMORDE!"

xoxox

Lucius was reading in his study when he felt the tattoo on his arm burning for the first time in over a decade. 

Smiling, he got to his feet and walked over to the cupboard that he had only opened once since The Dark Lord had been vanquished and pulled out the robes he thought of as a second skin.

xoxox

Severus felt the tattoo on his arm burn, and let a soft smile cross his lips.

xoxox

Luna lifted her wand off Pettigrew's Dark Mark, then took a step back as Harry drew his fist back and punched him as hard as he could across the face. Pettigrew collapsed, unconscious.

"Amelia - we know you are out there. The Death Eaters should be arriving in around five, ten minutes. Wait until they are all here, then you can move in and arrest them. If you move before they all arrive you will lose any chance you have of getting them all" Luna called out "We are going home, because our work here is done" She paused, then she turned and kicked the cauldron as hard as she could, sending it crashing over and the contents spilling on the ground. 

"Mister Potter, I think it is time to go home" She said, then took his hand and walked over to where The Tri-Wizard Chalice lay. With a final glance around the graveyard, she bent over and picked it up.

A moment later, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will post the final part of the story tonight - my plan was to do it over lunch time but something has come up. Sorry :)


	23. The Tri-Wizard Champions

Fudge stared down at the area in front of the maze where Sirius and Xeno had just reappeared, along with Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody, both bound and gagged, and the two Tri-Wizard champions.

"Minister Fudge" Sirius gave a polite nod "No doubt you have one or two questions?"

"One or two, yes" Fudge nodded, but before he could continue, Sirius raised his hand.

"If we might address the crowd, I believe we can answer all the questions you have, as well as some that you might not have thought of" Sirius smiled "And, with all due respect, I would rather have everyone hear this at once" Fudge gazed at him, then gave a single nod, and gestured for him to take the platform. Sirius gave him a wicked grin, then turned to the group that had returned with him.

"Miss Granger? I believe the floor is yours" He said. 

"Why thank you, Mister Black" Hermione gave him a polite bow, then walked past him and up to the platform. She took a deep breath, looked around the stadium, then smiled.

"Good evening everybody. My name, for those of you who don't know me, is Hermione Jane Granger. A few weeks ago, we learned that the two men you see here - Albus Dumbledore and Retired Master Auror Alastor Moody - were going to attempt to kidnap my two best friends Luna Lovegood and Harry Potter" She paused.

"Our former Headmaster has always been obsessed with Harry, for reasons we aren't entirely clear on, and saw this as a perfect chance to get The Boy Who Lived back under his control" She glared down at the two men tied and gagged on the ground "Quite why they wanted to take Luna as well, we aren't sure either. Maybe to use her as leverage, maybe because they knew Harry wouldn't let her go without a fight" She shrugged "Either way - we knew that these two men were going to take both of our friends tonight during the distraction caused by the end of The Third Task" She glanced down at the three Champions.

"However because all six of us had embraced the spirit of The Tournament, we decided to take a chance and tell our three new friends - Fleur, Cedric and Sophithea - what was going to happen, and ask them to help us prevent the kidnapping" She let out a long, slow breath "Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory agreed to help us. They were willing to put their lives on the line - to walk into the lions den, so to speak - by nominating Harry and Luna as their proxies, and taking their place in the stands" She smiled again "Fleur and Cedric were instrumental in capturing these two fugitives - something they should be applauded and congratulated for" She trailed off as applause started to fill the stadium. Glancing down at Fleur and Cedric, she smirked as she realised they were both blushing bright red.

A few minutes later, the applause trailed off, and Hermione continued. 

"There is, however, another part to my story. Because - as the more observant of you will have noticed, neither Luna nor Harry are present for this speech" She closed her eyes for a moment. 

"What we hadn't realised - what we couldn't have known - was that while these two vile men were planning to kidnap Harry and Luna, Voldemort....." She paused as there were a few murmurs and moans "..... Oh for gods' sake people! It's just a fraking name! It isn't even a REAL NAME! Voldemort was born Tom Marvolo Riddle, a half-blood bastard orphan whose mother had to trick his father into loving her. He used his name to create an anagram because he was ashamed of both his muggle father and his pure-blood mother! He wiped out his history because he wanted nothing to do with either half of his family!" She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly "If you are going to be afraid of anything be afraid of the man, not the name. The man is what is dangerous. The name can't hurt you" She looked around, then took a few more deep breaths.

"As I was saying, what we were totally unaware of was that Voldemort had had an agent of his enchant The Tri-Wizard Chalice to become a portkey, and take whoever touched it a secret location where he would murder them" She paused "Ironically the second part of his plan was that - in the distraction of the broken and bleeding body being returned to the stadium - he would kidnap Harry and kill him" She glanced down at Cedric "A plan we kind of screwed up by swapping Harry and Luna for Fleur and Cedric" She closed her eyes "Right now, my two best friends in the world are facing the most powerful, the most evil, the most dangerous Dark Lord in a century" The entire stadium fell silent. Hermione let the silence continue for a few minutes, then she opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, another voice spoke from the far side of the stadium.

"Actually - they're not" 

xoxox

Harry and Luna appeared on the edge of the Hogwarts' grounds and looked around. 

"Wow" Luna exhaled "I really can't believe that worked" Harry turned to stare at her "Metaphorically speaking, of course"

"Of course" Harry smiled "I know......"

"All of them. Twelve Death Eaters will answer Pettigrew's call, and Amelia will capture them all. And since they are appearing in full regalia, and their names match Severus' list, every one of them is going to Azkaban for life" She paused "Fudge won't put up a fight - not this time" Harry blinked in surprise, and Luna tilted her head to one side "What?"

"You aren't usually so..... forthcoming about questions like that, my sweet" He replied "I can't ever remember a time where you have told me the future in such clear and precise detail" Luna grinned at him, then pulled him close and kissed him.

"He's dead, Harry. For the first time in fifty years, the world has no need to fear the name, or the man. His most loyal are being arrested as we speak and in a few minutes the entire nation is going to know that The Dark War is over, The Dark Lord is dead and we are free" She paused "And for the first time since I caused my mother's death, I feel like I am finally free of this thrice damned curse" Harry stared at her for a moment, then he looked over at the lights of the quidditch pitch.

"He's there? They caught him?" He asked, his voice growing excited. 

"Bound and gagged and...." She trailed off "And powerless" She smiled "She doesn't realise it yet, but Jessica Granger is now master one of the most powerful wands in the whole history of creation" She shrugged "But that all pales in comparison to the fact that we are both free, my love. Voldemort is dead. Dumbledore is going to prison" She smiled again "This point..... this is the perfect possible future we have been working for, living for for our entire lives. And if I have been...... reluctant it is because this point, right here and right now, was the tipping point for our entire society, our entire world" She closed her eyes "If anything had gone wrong, if there had been even one minor change anywhere along the way, then......" She trailed off.

"Bad?"

"The words 'fallen into hell' would be one of the better outcomes" She replied with a weak smile, then she shook her head "But while I am not saying our world will be perfect from here on out, it will be a lot better than it could have been" She leaned in and kissed him again "And our lives - yours and mine - they will be a lot, lot better" 

"So is this being open about the future going to become a regular thing?" He asked, smiling fondly.

"Maybe, maybe not" She returned his smile "Right now I am just kind of high on the Voldemort being dead and us not being cursed thing" She slipped her arm into his "And now, I think we should have a walk over to the quidditch pitch, because - if I am right......"

"If?" Harry quirked an eyebrow.

".....we will be just in time to make an entrance" 

xoxox

Five minutes later, they walked into the stands, and watched as Hermione told off the entire crowd for flinching at the name Voldemort.

"She's good" Harry smiled "And the phrase 'Minister Granger' has a certain ring to it" Luna gave a soft giggle. 

"Okay - your opening is coming in about a minute or so. You'll know it when you hear it" She said, then kissed his cheek.

_"Right now, my two best friends in the world are facing the most powerful, the most evil, the most dangerous Dark Lord in a century"_

Harry let the silence that had fallen around the stadium continue for a few minutes, then - when he saw his friend open her mouth again - he strode forward into the lights and put his wand to his throat. 

"Actually - they're not" He called out. Everyone turned to stare at him, then he grinned as Hermione ran forward and vaulted over the side of the stands before running across the open area in front of the maze before slamming into him at full tilt. 

"Woah - leave a few ribs intact sweetie" He said, throwing his arms around her "It's going to be hard to talk if I am screaming in pain"

"You goofball" She slapped him on the arm, then hugged him again before letting him go "Is it.... did you...... are you......"

"I thought I might follow your example" He said, gesturing to the platform "That is if you don't mind me stealing your thunder?"

"By all means, steal away" She stepped to one side.

"Why thank you" He looked over his shoulder, but Luna simply waved him forward while she walked over to join the rest of their group. He smiled, then walked up to the platform.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls" He paused "LORD VOLDEMORT IS DEAD!" There was a long moment of silence then the entire stadium burst into applause, cheers and whistles. Harry let it continue for a few minutes, then he held his hand up for silence.

"As the redoubtable and ineffable Miss Granger no doubt told you, we learned about the plan to kidnap Luna Lovegood and me. And about the steps we took to avoid it - switching places with Fleur and Cedric and so on and so forth" He paused "If we had known that Voldemort was planning to kidnap the winner of The Tournament, then I admit we may have done things differently. But no one can see the future - not even the most powerful and dangerous Dark Lord in a generation" He looked down at his friends.

"Luna and I reached The Trophy at the same time, and touched it at the same time" He continued "We then found ourselves in a graveyard. A few moments later, Peter Pettigrew emerged with a bundle of rags, forced us to give up our wands and then made me tie Luna to a gravestone" He paused "However three and a half years of being targeted by Death Eaters, lunatics and general bad guys makes you wary and more than a little paranoid. We were carrying fake wands - which we gave up - and I tied up Luna using the best slip knots I know" He smiled, then took a deep breath.

"Pettigrew was there to perform a ritual that would return Voldemort to his full strength" He said "The details aren't important, but it required three components and some pretty detailed preparation. So while Pettigrew was distracted, we use the opportunity to destroy the ingredients, destroy the cauldron, destroy the components and then stun Pettigrew" He paused "Then I killed Voldemort. It was the first, and last, life I will ever take, but it needed doing because he was truly evil, truly dangerous and was a threat to every single life on this planet" He looked down at his friends again, then looked back up at the crowd "I wish I could say I regret taking his life, but I can't and I don't. My friends, our country and the world is better off with him dead - nothing will convince me otherwise" He trailed off and stayed silent for a few moments, then he shook his head.

"After we had dealt with Voldemort's body - ashes in the wind, so discorporeal that no one will ever be able to recover it - we summoned The DMLE using a special charm we had been given just in case the kidnapping happened despite our best efforts to stop it" He smiled "And the rest - as they say - is history" He stared down at Dumbledore and Moody "Minister - may I suggest you return to The DMLE? Director Bones will no doubt be returning there soon - probably with a fair number of prisoners - and I suspect she is going to want to debrief you about tonight's events"

"Thank you, Mister Potter, Miss Granger" Fudge replied, then looked at Severus "If I might return to The Castle to use your floo?"

"By all means" Severus nodded, then glanced over at the group assembled in front of the maze "I will be back shortly"

xoxox

Fudge appeared in The Ministry atrium, and almost at once was approached by two Aurors.

"Minister - Director Bones requests your presence in The DMLE as soon as you returned" The first Auror said "She was very insistent - she already has five judges from The Wizengamot, but didn't want to start the process without you being present" 

"Okay - lets go" 

xoxox

"Minister" Amelia looked up as Fudge walked into her office "Please come with me" She stood up and lead him out of the office, through to the wing that housed the interrogation rooms "Tonight, we received a call from Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood. I expected them to be summoning us to arrest Albus Dumbledore and his associates, however we found something very different" She paused "I found myself and my team in a graveyard near a large mansion house. We found Peter Pettigrew, unconscious and a message written in Luna Lovegood's handwriting telling us to lay in wait for a few minutes"

"And what happened?" Fudge asked, curious as to where this was leading.

"About five minutes after we arrived, twelve people apparated into the graveyard. They were all dressed in full Death Eater regalia. We stunned them before they had a chance to fight back, and when we searched them each and every one of them had a Dark Mark on their left forearm" She paused "Minister - there is no doubt in my mind that they are Death Eaters. There is also no doubt in my mind that they came to that graveyard of their own free will. They were under no spells, no compulsion - they were there because they wanted to be" 

"You realise we will have to prove that in court" Fudge replied.

"Yes, but given they were captured in Death Eater regalia, the law says we can subject them to veritaserum interrogations right now" Amelia countered "And my first question will be if they were under the imperius curse now, and my second will be if they were under the imperius curse the last time Voldemort rose" She smiled at him "I have asked five members of The Wizengamot and every one of them says I am well within my rights. If you try to stop me, I will have no option but to assume you are either one of them - in which case you will be in a cell next to them - or that you are trying to obstruct my investigation for another reason - in which case you will be in a cell next to them" She stared at him, and her smile faded "Do I make myself clear, Minister?"

"Yes, Director" He nodded "But I am not certain why you felt it necessary to threaten me?"

"That will become apparent in a moment" She turned and lead him through the first door into interrogation room "Minister, I believe you remember Lucius Malfoy?"

xoxox

Xeno lead the entire group into The Room of Requirement, then - once they were all inside - watched the door close. When he was sure it was sealed, he turned to face everyone. 

"Really most sincerely dead?" He asked.

"I blasted him to bits, then watched to ensure the bits that remained of him were scattered to the four winds" Harry smiled "Amelia has his twelve most loyal in custody right now, and along with the ones in Azkaban that is his entire base of support. Even if there was anyone who wanted to bring him back, wouldn't be any way to do it" He looked over at Luna.

"He's done. Voldemort is gone and he is not coming back" She said, then smiled as the others burst into cheers and applause. 

"What about the other two?" Jessica asked when the noise died down. 

"Moody is going to Azkaban for twenty years" Luna replied "Two counts of kidnapping, one count of aiding an abetting a fugitive, one count of conspiracy to kidnap, one count of conspiracy to kidnap the Heir to a Noble House" She paused "I still cannot believe that is a different crime, by the way" 

"We do live in a strange and interesting world" Faith laughed "And The Headmaster?"

"That's...... more complicated" She paused "Everyone here knows the truth about me. And I trust each and every one of you with that knowledge" She glanced at the three Champions "The oath you swore will expire at midnight tomorrow, but I believe none of you will break it even after you are free to do so" They all shook their heads.

"Amelia and Tonks are both under a similar oath, though theirs is more long lasting" Luna continued "So the only other three people are Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody"

"Voldemort won't be telling anyone" Harry said "What with being blown into pieces and cast to the winds"

"Moody has been sworn to secrecy on his life and his magic" Luna added "He can't tell anyone without Dumbledore's permission, and I think that Fleur and Cedric convinced him that even if he found a way round that prohibition, I would probably make him regret it" She paused "I am not sure I like the fact he is living in fear of me, but......" She trailed off, then shrugged "These things happen"

"Dumbledore is a different matter" Harry bit his lip "He truly believes she is a danger to society, and he won't hesitate to announce this to the world. He will tell everyone what Luna can do, and the moment he does her life will be over. Every government - magical and muggle - will come for her. She won't ever be safe, and unless she is willing to break he cardinal vow, we will never see her again" He looked over at Luna. 

"Can we stop him?" Sirius asked. 

"I......" Luna started, then trailed off. She closed her eyes, then they flashed open "What....." She shook her head, then closed her eyes again.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"The future....." She trailed off "It literally just changed" She paused "I have been looking into the futures for a while now and have never seen anything like this - while I was looking at Dumbledore's possible futures, his most likely future changed while I was watching" She furrowed her brow "Almost as if someone made a decision while Harry was talking" She looked around the room "Five minutes ago, Dumbledore was going to go on trial and tell the world about my secret. And now...... not so much"

"What's going to happen?" Sirius, Jessica, Xeno and Harry asked in unison.

"Karma" Luna replied "I don't know how, but Dumbledore is going to get exactly what is coming to him" She paused "Please do not ask me any more - I would rather not say just yet" 

"But you will be safe?" Harry asked urgently and intently.

"As far as I can see" Luna nodded, then smiled, then looked around the room "And now - in the words of a woman who will one day use this in a far more literal sense - we saved the world, I say we party"

xoxox

One week later, Severus stepped out of his office to find Luna leaning against the wall opposite, arms folded.

"Miss Lovegood" He nodded "If I didn't know better, I would almost say you were waiting for me" He paused "Would I be right in thinking you arrived in the past minute or so?" She smiled.

"Thirty four seconds" She replied, pushing herself off the wall "I thought we might walk down to the presentation together, if that is alright with you?"

"I can't think of anything I would like more" He said, then offered her his arm. She took it, then together they walked down the corridor "So - what would you like to talk about?"

"I thought you might want to..... ease your conscience, for want of a better phrase" She suggested "Or perhaps unburden yourself about a recent decision you may or may not have made" They walked on in silence for a few moments, then he let out a soft laugh.

"When did you realise? Or perhaps a better question would be when did you see? I know it wasn't the night of The Task - you were too surprised"

"Four nights ago I finally saw what would happen" She admitted "But I understood that you had your reasons, and it wasn't my place to stop you, or interfere with what you felt you had to do"

"And you won't reveal my actions? The DMLE will investigate"

"I can't see the past, Severus" She said as if it were obvious "You know that"

"True" He paused "I am not a nice person, Miss Lovegood. I know that Sirius, Remus and the others have forgiven me for my past indiscretions, but the truth is there is no forgiveness for some of the things I have done" He took a deep breath "While I was in the service of The Dark Lord, I killed, I tortured, I maimed, I...... I did things that a girl as young as you should have no knowledge of. And I while I regret them now, I had no such regrets at the time" He shook his head "Even when I had supposedly reformed, and was in Dumbledore's service, I still did bad and terrible things"

"Blaise" Luna said, and he nodded.

"I knew that what I was doing would get in her in trouble, but all I cared about was my own life - my own chance for redemption, or at least what I thought was redemption" He gave a bitter laugh "I just traded the demands of one madman for another - I still had no free will, and my soul was still not my own" He came to a halt and turned to face her.

"You and your friends gave me that chance. Even after I nearly got Angela killed, you were willing to trust me, to take a risk and believe in me" He looked into her eyes "You must have seen that I could have sold you out? That I was playing my part with Voldemort and Lucius very convincingly" Luna nodded "But you still trusted me" She nodded again "No one has ever trusted me like that - or given me a chance like that"

"We believed you were a good person, and that you wanted to change" Luna said simply "We had faith"

"No one has ever had faith in me - even Dumbledore" He sighed "He made it clear that he would protect me as long as I was of use to him. If I refused to help him, or turned against him, then he would withdraw his protection and unleash the full force of the law against me" He smiled at her "When you said that Dumbledore was going to ruin your life - either by making you a prisoner of one of the magical governments or by forcing you to go on the run for the rest of time - I knew I couldn't allow it"

"A proper chance at redemption?" Luna asked with a wry smile, but Severus shook his head.

"Believe it or not, I wasn't thinking about myself. Just about you and Harry" He walked over to the nearest window and stared out of it at the crowds gathering in the quidditch pitch "I took his father, and his mother from him, Luna - I wasn't going to take his future wife as well" He expected her to blush, but she didn't "I realise you might want to tell him about Albus, but please don't tell him what I just said" Luna mimed crossing her heart "Anyway - I went to see Albus, and during our conversation I managed to dose him with the same potion he dosed Minerva with before she turned herself in. I knew they would continue to interrogate him, and I knew what would happen when they did" He paused "I know it is another dark mark on my soul, if you will pardon the phrase, but like I said - I was not going to let him tell anyone about you, and I was not going to let him cause Harry any more suffering" Luna stared at him for a moment, then she went up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"You, Severus Snape, are a good man. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently" She said quietly but firmly. Then she took his arm and started walking again. 

"Now" She said "There was one other thing we needed to talk about"

"Oh yes?" He asked in an amused tone.

"Oh yes" She replied in the same tone.

xoxox

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS!" Severus' voice boomed out over the quidditch pitch "We are here to award the Tri-Wizard Chalice to the winner of The Tournament" He paused "However, given the unusual circumstances of last week's finale to the event, there was some discussion as to how the winner should be decided" He looked down at the three Champions sat in the front row "Miss Fleur Delacour and Mister Cedric Diggory both handed their proxies to two other students, both of whom reached The Cup at the same time. So it could be argued that they were the winners" There were a few half hearted cheers from around the stands.

"However, subsequent investigations have made it very clear that Miss Lovegood and Mister Potter only made it thus far because Miss Sophithea Queen helped clear their path to The Cup, and because all three students worked together" Severus paused, then smiled "And so because of that - and in keeping with the original aims of bringing the three schools closer together and promoting harmony, unity and cooperation - it has been decided that all three Champions will be proclaimed THE WINNERS OF THE TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT!" As he finished speaking, three Chalices appeared behind him, with a banner from each school floating above each one.

"Miss Queen, Miss Delacour, Mister Diggory - would you please join me up here?" Severus stood to one side as the three Champions walked up on to the podium. He then presented a Chalice to each of them, along with a bag of gold. 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS - I GIVE YOU THE TRI-WIZARD CHAMPIONS!!"

xoxox

"Miss Lovegood, might I have a word?" Luna and Harry turned to see Amelia and Tonks walking towards them. 

"Director, Auror" Luna nodded "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"May we talk in private?" Amelia asked.

"Harry will come with me, but yes" Luna nodded again. 

"Very well" Amelia lead them through the grounds until they were stood in a secluded corner of the castle "You know why I am here?"

"To tell me I am going to be awarded The Order of Merlin for ridding the world of Voldemort?" Luna asked. Amelia blinked, then shook her head.

"That is a good point, but no" She said "Dumbledore's mind is failing. He has been subjected to the same potion that McGonagall was given, and - because of his advanced age - it is taking hold far more rapidly"

"Couldn't happen to a nicer man" Harry replied "But how is this our problem? We haven't left school since the night of The Third Task"

"You know why I am asking, Miss Lovegood" Amelia stared at her. 

"As I may or may not have told you, Director, I can't see the past" Luna said calmly "And I can't see every future, only those I go looking for. And even when I see those, I can't always see what leads to that point - just that they happen"

"Did you see this happening?" Tonks demanded.

"Not until it was too late to do anything about it" Luna admitted "By the time I realised his mind was being shredded, it was too late to stop it" She shrugged "So I didn't see the need to tell you about it because there wasn't anything you - or anyone else - could've done about it" Amelia stared at her for a moment longer.

"And how do I know you are telling the truth?" She asked.

"You don't, but I don't see you being able to prove I'm not" Luna responded "Look, Director, Dumbledore is paying for his crimes. Maybe not in the way I wanted, or you wanted, but he is paying for what he did. His brain will slowly eat itself, and he will die" She paused "Some people would call that justice" Amelia gazed at her, then gave a single nod.

"I suppose they would" She said, then looked at Tonks "Lets go - we're done here" They turned and walked off across the grounds. Harry waited until they were out of earshot, then looked at his girlfriend.

"Anything you want to tell me, love?"

"It wasn't me, if that's what you're asking" She replied with a smile.

"That much I know" He said, pulling her into a hug "But if you ever want to tell me, you know I am good at keeping secrets"

"I know" She paused "But for now, lets just enjoy the day"

xoxox

"So - we've been thinking" Cedric, Fleur and Sophithea sat opposite Harry, Luna and Hermione "And if you would like us to swear another oath, we will" 

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because while we would never knowingly reveal your secret, we might do it by accident" Sophithea said "A careless word, a misspoken sentence - something that seems innocent and innocuous to us could have terrible ramifications down the line" She paused "And the three of us would rather lose our magic than give you up" Luna smiled, then - feeling her eyes tear up slightly - reached up to wipe them.

"If you are sure?" She looked at them, and they each nodded "Okay then....." She drew her wand "Bind the secret to their minds, never to let it go. From this point on, until the sun explodes, only they will know" A soft pink light enveloped the three Champions, then Luna lowered her wand.

"What was that?" Fleur asked curiously.

"A Marauders special" Harry replied "It's kind of a combination of the fidelius, a secrecy charm and a spell called muffliato" He paused "Basically you won't be able to tell anyone, and if you do slip up, people will hear you but it will come out as gibberish"

"Wow" Cedric exclaimed "We can still talk about it with each other?"

"Yes" Hermione nodded "But anyone else will just hear nonsense" She smiled "No risk to your magic or your lives - we would never ask you to risk that" She paused "At least not now Voldemort is dead"

"That's kind of a relief" Sophithea admitted, then she glanced at her watch "And now - I have to be going" She stood up "I will try to say good bye before I leave, but if I don't see you, it has been an honour getting to know you all"

"You too" Hermione stood up "I'll walk you out" They walked off down The Hall. 

"We should be going too" Fleur said and she and Cedric stood up "But we will see you at dinner tonight"

"Of course" Luna smiled "We will see you when you leave"

xoxox

The next morning, the Durmstrang students departed in their ship 

"Will we see you again?" Angela asked Sophithea as she prepared to walk up the gangplank. 

"Fleur and Cedric and I have arranged a three way visit for the summer" Sophithea replied "So Tara and I will probably be back in the country at some point" She paused "We can let you know when we are here - maybe come and visit?"

"I'll talk to my parents, and Sally's" Angela nodded "Get the gang back together for a party" She smiled, then she leaned over and gave Sophithea a hug "Take care of yourself - I'd take it badly if you were to be hurt"

"Then I will do my best not to get hurt" Sophithea smiled, then turned and walked up the gangplank leading to the ship. When she reached the ship, she turned and waved goodbye before going below. 

Angela watched as the plank retracted into the ship, then it turned and disappeared below the water. A few seconds later she saw the dark shadow vanish.

She continued staring out across the lake, then turned as she heard a footsteps behind her.

"I missed them?" Sally asked "Bugger" Angela turned to face her "I wanted to be here, but I..... overslept - sorry"

"No worries" Angela waved her hand "I've invited Sophithea and Tara over during the summer - they are coming over to visit Fleur and Cedric apparently - so you will get a second chance to say goodbye" She took her girlfriend's hand "So - what's next?"

"Next?" Sally asked "Voldemort is dead. Dumbledore will be dead soon enough. We are free to grow up the way we were always mean to grow up" She paused "Why would there be a next?" Angela smiled.

"Hermione has been lending me a few of her books" She said "Usually at his point in the story, the hero discovers that while they have vanquished the big bad, there is a new enemy waiting in the wings - someone they don't expect, someone from their past, or someone from their inner circle who is going to betray them" Sally smirked.

"You always were too dramatic for your own good" She leaned over and kiss her girlfriend "Walk me back to the castle?" 

"Of course" Angela nodded "So - who do you think would be the most likely to betray us?" She paused "You know - if someone was going to?" Sally stared at her, then shrugged.

"Probably Hermione - she is definitely smart enough" She paused "But I think Harry would be a perfect candidate as well....."

xoxox

The following evening, all six friends, along with Gabrielle, stood in a line, watching Cedric say goodbye to Fleur. They had all said their goodbyes a few moments before, and were just waiting to watch the carriage leave.

They watched in silence as the two Champions talked quietly, then Gabrielle let out a loud whistle as her sister leaned over and kissed Cedric somewhat passionately. 

A moment later, Fleur turned and stuck her tongue out at her sister, then shouted at her in French - something that made Hermione burst out laughing. 

"Why do I get the feeling we shouldn't have cancelled the translation spells?" Neville asked. Hermione laughed again.

"Lets just say Delacour the older was not happy about Delacour the younger's interruption" Hermione replied. Gabrielle walked over to join her sister, then waved goodbye to the six friends.

She glanced at her sister, then walked towards the carriage and climbed inside. 

Fleur turned back to Cedric, then together they walked up to the entrance to the carriage, and he helped her climb inside. 

As he did, Luna leaned over to Harry.

"And they lived happily ever after" She whispered.

xoxox

"So - home" Luna said as she and Harry boarded The Express five days later. 

"Home" Harry nodded "Want to give me any hints as to what the summer holds?" Luna smiled.

"You know what?" She said "For the first time in a long while, I don't want to know"


	24. Epilogue - Through The Portal

Clark Kent stepped out of the glowing ball of light and found himself in a dark forest. Almost at once he realised two things - first - his glamour had vanished, and he looked like himself again. An old man with snow white hair and a cold, forbidding visage. 

And second - there was something wrong, something different about the air. The taste? No - he shook his head. That wasn't it, but there was definitely something different about the world he now found himself in.

"I think it's the magic" A voice came from behind him, and he span round, drawing his wand as he did, until he came face to face with a short, dark haired girl with a face almost as dark and cold as his own. 

"Pardon me?" He replayed her words in his mind "The magic?"

"Based on what I have observed, Mister Grindelwald, people who cross over from another universe are identical in every way but one" She said. He blinked in surprise at the use of his name, but was more intrigued by her comments than her apparent knowledge of him.

"Their magic?" He nodded "That would make sense - it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe - fundamental to the structure of the world. If this is, as you say, another universe - an alternate universe - then it would be logical that the magic would be alternate as well" He looked her up and down "Miss Lovegood?"

"So you've met the other me?" She asked, a small smile crossing her face for the first time "You, of course, are Gellert Grindelwald" She paused "I don't know who you are on your side of the portal, but here you are a very important, very powerful man indeed"

"Oh yes?"

"Oh yes" Luna nodded gravely "Which is why I have to do this" He saw a flicker of movement and felt a sharp sting in his stomach. Looking down, he saw a dagger sticking out of his belly. He tried to raise his wand, only to find he couldn't move his arm.

"Don't bother" Luna said in a conversational tone "The knife had a powerful dendrotoxin on the blade - you'll be paralysed for weeks" She smiled "Or you would be, if it wasn't for this......" She kicked his legs out from under him, then - as he fell - yanked the dagger out of his stomach and slashed it across his throat. 

"The acromantula host will feast well tonight" She whispered in his ear, then she stood up.

"Why....."

"Why not?" She replied, then she turned "I have to warn them - they will be here soon" She glanced down at the body on the forest floor, then skipped off through the woods, singing softly to herself.

****

TO BE CONTINUED  
IN  
"THE DARK VERSE"


	25. Epilogue 2 - Alternate Ending

Luna smiled as Gondolin faded away, then she looked around her bedroom in her Uncle's house on Privet Drive. 

"So - that's the next four years?" She said to herself "Looks like they're going to be fun" She got out of bed and stared out of the window at the house across the road, where a number of kids were arriving for what seemed to be a birthday party - something re-enforced by the "HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY DUDLEY" banner hung up above the door. 

"Hold on, Master Potter" She said with a soft smile "Help is on its way" She turned away from the window and looked around her room again before walking over to her bed.

Laying down, she closed her eyes. 

"Time to go to work"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was something that occurred to me when I started Year 3, and it stuck with me right through that story and through this one. 
> 
> It isn't a part of "The Seer" timeline, unless you want it to be. I will leave it entirely up to you as to what you make of it :)


End file.
